A/79/173 • Virtual reality and augmented reality have made it possible to create new digital experiences, including games, training applications and simulations. • Advancements in artificial intelligence and sensors have enabled cars to operate independently, thereby transforming the transportation industry and the way in which people travel. • Neurotechnology has led to detailed knowledge of the brain and information on the neural systems of individuals (highly sensitive data). 4. None of these technological developments had taken place when General Assembly resolution 45/95 was adopted. It is therefore necessary to update them in order to bring them into line with the socio-technological reality of the twenty-first century. In addition, current technology allows data to be collected anywhere in the world from individuals domiciled or residing in other countries. This phenomenon, known as “international data collection”, 5 is not envisaged in General Assembly resolution 45/95. As the means by which data are most frequently collected from individuals worldwide, it should be incorporated into international documents. 5. Information is also essential to the functioning of technological tools, such as artificial intelligence, given that an algorithm, by itself, is not sufficient to produce a result; the result comes from the processing and analysis of information. 6. Personal data is a specific category of information. Such data are so valuable that they have been referred to as the “currency of the digital economy”. For example, at the end of December 2022, the Organisation for Economic Co -operation and Development (OECD) adopted the Declaration on a Trusted, Sustainable and Inclusive Digital Future, 6 which highlights, among other things, “the outcomes of the OECD Horizontal Project on Data Governance for Growth and Well-being … which recognise the importance of data as a driver of the global economy” (emphasis added). 7. OECD has committed itself to, among other things, “advancing a human -centric and rights-oriented digital transformation that includes promoting the enjoyment of human rights, both offline and online, strong protections for personal data, laws and regulations fit for the digital age, and trustworthy, secure, responsible and sustainable use of emerging digital technologies and artificial intelligence”. 7 8. On 23 January 2023, the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission adopted the European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles for the Digital Decade, 8 in whose chapter III, entitled “Freedom of choice”, under the subheading “A fair digital environment”, they committed themselves to, among other things, “ensuring a safe and secure digital environment based on fair competition, where fundamental rights ar e protected, users’ rights and consumer protection in the Digital Single Market are ensured, and responsibilities of platforms, especially large players and gatekeepers, are well defined”. __________________ 5 6 7 8 4/23 Nelson Remolina Angarita, Recolección internacional de datos personales: un reto del mundo post-internet (Madrid, Spain, Official Gazette, 2015). Organisation for Economic Co-operation, “Declaration on a Trusted, Sustainable and Inclusive Digital Future”. The Declaration was the outcome of the meeting held on the island of Gran Canaria, Spain, on 14 and 15 December 2022. The official text is availab le at https://legalinstruments.oecd.org/en/instruments/OECD-LEGAL-0488. Ibid. European Parliament, Council of the European Union and European Commission, European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles for the Digital Decade (2023/C 23/01), 23 January 2023. The official text is available at https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri= OJ%3AJOC_2023_023_R_0001. 24-13146