معايير حقوق الإنسان الملزمة في التطبيقات الصحيَّة الرقميَّة

Abstract

Despite the numerous benefits of technological advancements and modern digital technology, which have undoubtedly led to the development of surveillance mechanisms over individuals in various fields, such as health, it is still important to ensure that on these advancements don’t negatively impact human rights. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, modern digital technology has been utilized to limit the spread of the pandemic through tracking applications and surveillance systems on smart phones, which requires ensuring that these applications and systems s work to achieve the desired objectives without overstepping the set limits. First, the surveillance techniques used to fight COVID-19 should be described and analyzed in terms of the development of public health surveillance tools. Moreover, the convenience of surveillance tools to human rights should be discussed. This also includes evaluation of the potential impacts arising from using digital health techniques on human rights. This may be implemented by analyzing how such techniques pass the tests of necessity and proportionality which are important principles according to human right rules.
The study concludes that it is necessary to use digital health applications in accordance with human rights standards. Some of these applications affects personal rights and freedoms, so the study emphasizes that they should adhere to principles of legitimacy, necessity, and proportionality. This will ensure that digital health applications are used within the limits of its main goal; controlling epidemic diseases, without any infringement of personal rights and freedoms.