New technologies and human rights : challenges to regulation

Whilst advances in biotechnology and information technology have undoubtedly resulted in better quality of life for mankind, they can also bring about global problems. The legal response to the challenges caused by the rapid progress of technological change has been slow and the question of how international human rights should be protected and promoted with respect to science and technology remains unexplored. The contributors to this book explore the political discourse and power relations of technological growth and human rights issues between the Global South and the Global North and uncover the different perspectives of both regions. They investigate the conflict between technology and human rights and the perpetuation of inequality and subjection of the South to the North. With emerging economies such as Brazil playing a major role in trade, investment and financial law, this book examines how human rights are affected in Southern countries and identifies significant challenges to reform in the areas of international law and policy.-- Preface -- Introduction -- Part I: General Legal and Philosophical Aspects of the Interaction between Human Rights and New Technologies 1. Human rights in the information society: utopias, dystopias and human values, Giovanni Sartor 2. Knowledge and new technologies: from ethics to politics and law, Maria da Glória F.D.P. Garcia. -- Part II: Freedom of Expression in the Online Environment 3. To block or not to block European approaches to content regulation, and implications for freedom of expression, Yaman Akdeniz. -- Part III Intellectual Property, Competition Rules and New Technologies 4. Intellectual property and human rights: Northern and Southern perspectives, Ana E. Santos 5. (Right to) development and international transfer of technology: a competition law perspective, Lúcio Tomé Féteira. -- Part IV Biobanks, Bioethics and Human Rights 6. Prometheus, Golem & Co: bioconstitution and bodiliness in a ‘(world) risk society’, João Carlos Loureiro 7. Protecting persons v. protecting humans in biobanks, Judit Sándor. -- Part V Reproductive Technologies and Human Dignity 8. Human reproduction and human dignity as a constitutional concept, Miguel Nogueira de Brito 9. The constitutional debate on stem cell research, human rights and dignity: the law and a recent court ruling in Brazil, Luiz Edson Fachin. Part VI Balancing Privacy and Security 10. Angels and demons: data protection and security in electronic communications, Pedro Ferreira 11. Privacy, security and new technologies: a Brazilian approach to privacy issues in the public security field, Mario Viola de Azevedo Cunha and Danilo Doneda. -- Part VII Emerging Issues 12. Proposing a right to identity within the international framework of human rights: issues and prospects, Norbert Nuno Gomes de Andrade and Paul De Hert 13. Legal implications of the privatization of cyber warfare, Lucas Lixinski 14. Internet content filtering in Latin America: reasons and impacts on freedom of expression, Joana Varon Ferraz, Carlos Affonso Pereira de Sousa, Bruno Magrani and Walter Britto 15. Nanotechnology, human rights, patent law and the global South: a brief overview, Ana Nordberg -- Index