Explore our resources on digital rights

In Latin America, surveillance is colonizing everyday spaces until we are numb to it. The advance of these technologies is neither an exception nor a temporary measure. It takes place quietly and, in many cases, without public debate, without transparency and without people knowing what happens to their data.

A recent instrument adopted by the International Labour Organization establishes minimum principles for the enjoyment of fundamental rights in the platform economy. What does it say about the use of algorithms that shape the daily working conditions of millions of workers? In this column, we examine the Convention in detail and highlight key considerations for ensuring that these emerging forms of work do not run counter to human dignity.

The persecution of Latino migrants in the United States no longer begins with a raid. It starts weeks earlier, on the servers of private companies that sell the government the ability to track down anyone who does not want to be found. ICE has shifted from a deportation agency to one of mass surveillance, and understanding how it works is the first step toward knowing how to respond.

The year 2025 ended with the completion of the historic review process of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+20), in which Chile played a key role in the negotiations. In this column, we analyse the achievements and limitations of the perspective promoted by Chile and ask ourselves about the impact the Summit may have on the local agenda under a new far right government.

The digitalization of agriculture is already a fact: Big Tech companies are working alongside monopolistic agribusiness corporations, driving an unprecedented datification in the rural sector. Peasant and indigenous communities are demanding protection and security over their knowledge, data, and modes of production. Is it possible to introduce digital technologies in rural areas in ways that respect peasant rights and promote food sovereignty?

The increase in deepfake cases in Latin American schools is causing growing concern. An analysis of Android apps revealed a lack of transparency, embedded biases in their development, and a business model that prioritizes monetizing abuse. Far from being a “system error,” these tools were designed in ways that perpetuate digital gender-based violence.

In recent years, a modest advance began to be observed in the consensus around the need to rebalance global power relations in the field of technology. The concept of “tech sovereignty” has gained prominence in the discourses of both governmental and international authorities. At the same time, new opportunities emerged for fiscal policies aimed at compensating countries for the extraction of their data by a handful of companies. Even though some of these demands remain largely rhetorical (with countries still granting benefits to the same companies for local resource exploitation), the alliance between Big Tech and the far-right U.S. government has devoted all its efforts to pushing them back.