Teacher Candidates' Views about the Effects of Information and Communication Technologies on Human Rights and Freedoms

The recent rapid developments in technology have caused great changes in all areas of human life. This study aimed to determine the views of teacher candidates on the rights and freedoms affected by information and communication technologies (e.g., telephone, computer, and internet). The study was carried out in the spring term of the 2020-2021 academic year, and the sample consisted of 100 volunteer teacher candidates studying the "Human Rights and Democracy Course" at the Faculty of Education of Yozgat Bozok University. The data of this qualitative research were collected through teacher candidates’ compositions and were analyzed using content analysis. According to the results of the research, the rights and freedoms that are thought to be positively affected by the use of information and communication technologies are as follows: freedom to obtain and disseminate information, freedom of communication, right and duty of education, right to congregate / right of organization, right to legal remedies, freedom of expression and dissemination of thought, and right to enter public services. The negatively affected rights and freedoms are determined as privacy of private life, right to request the protection of his/her personal data, personal liberty and security, freedom of information and dissemination, and right to health. To minimize the negative impact of information and communication technologies on rights and freedoms, teacher candidates expressed some suggestions such as information and communication technologies education, human rights education, sanction/punishment, personal security measures, and increasing supervision