Can Big Data Revolutionize International Human Rights Law?

29 Pages Posted: 16 Jan 2018

See all articles by Galit Sarfaty

Galit Sarfaty

University of Toronto - Faculty of Law

Date Written: 2017

Abstract

International human rights efforts have been overly reliant on reactive tools and focused on treaty compliance, while often under emphasizing the prevention of human rights violations. I argue that data analytics can play an important role in refocusing the international human rights regime on its original goal of preventing human rights abuses, but it comes at a cost. There are risks in advancing a data-driven approach to human rights, including the privileging of certain rights subject to quantitative measurement and the precipitation of further human rights abuses in the process of preventing other violations. Moreover, the increasing use of big data can ultimately privatize the international human rights regime by transforming the corporation into a primary gatekeeper of rights protection. Such unintended consequences need to be addressed in order to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks of using big data in this field.

Keywords: international human rights, big data, law and development, measuring human rights

Suggested Citation

Sarfaty, Galit, Can Big Data Revolutionize International Human Rights Law? (2017). University of Pennsylvania Journal of International Law, Vol. 39, Issue 1, p.73, 2017, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3098416

Galit Sarfaty (Contact Author)

University of Toronto - Faculty of Law ( email )

78 and 84 Queen's Park
Toronto, Ontario M5S 2C5
Canada

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
232
Abstract Views
1,187
Rank
239,285
PlumX Metrics