The right to privacy in the digital age A/RES/79/175 suffer insecurity, as well as unlawful or arbitrary interference with their right to privacy, as a result of their activities, Noting with deep concern also the use of technological tools developed by the private surveillance industry and by private or public actors to undertake surveillance, hacking of devices and systems, interception and disruption of communications, and data collection, interfering with the professional and private lives of individuals, including those engaged in the promotion and defence of human rights and fundamental freedoms, journalists and other media workers, in violation or abuse of their human rights, specifically the right to privacy, Emphasizing that States must respect international human rights obligations regarding the right to privacy when they intercept digital communications of individuals and/or collect personal data, when they share or otherwise provide access to data collected through, inter alia, information- and intelligence-sharing agreements and when they require disclosure of personal data from third parties, including business enterprises, Noting the increase in the collection of sensitive biometric information from individuals, and stressing that States must comply with their human rights obligations and that business enterprises should respect the right to privacy and other human rights when collecting, processing, sharing and storing biometric information by, inter alia, adopting data protection policies and safeguards, Deeply concerned at the negative impact that surveillance and/or interception of communications, including extraterritorial surveillance and/or interception of communications, as well as the collection of personal data, in particular when carried out on a mass scale, may have on the exercise and enjoyment of human rights, Emphasizing that, in the digital age, technical solutions to secure and to protect the confidentiality of digital communications and transactions, including measures for strong encryption, pseudonymization and anonymity, are important to ensure the enjoyment of human rights, in particular the rights to privacy, to freedom of opinion and expression and to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, and recognizing that States should promote such measures and refrain from employing unlawful or arbitrary surveillance techniques, which may include forms of hacking, Noting that, while concerns about public security may justify the gathering and protection of certain sensitive information, States must ensure full compliance with their obligations under international human rights law, Noting also, in that respect, that the prevention and suppression of terrorism is a public interest of great importance, while reaffirming that States must ensure that any measures taken to combat terrorism are in compliance with their obligations under international law, in particular international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law, Recognizing that a lack of access to affordable and reliable technologies and services remains a critical challenge in many developing countries, Stressing the need to address prevailing challenges to bridge the digital divides, both between and within countries, and the gender digital divide, and to harness information and communications technologies for development, and recalling the need to emphasize quality of access to bridge digital and knowledge divides, using a multidimensional approach that includes speed, stability, affordability, language, training, capacity-building, local content and accessibility for persons with disabilities, and to promote the full enjoyment of human rights, including the right to privacy, 24-24216 7/12