Ombudsman Varol attends International Summit in Baku

Ombudsman İlkan Varol attended the International Baku Ombudsmen Summit titled “Human Rights in the Age Artificial Intelligence Opportunities, Risks and Responsibilities”, held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. She addressed participants during a session entitled “Protecting Rights in the Digital Sphere: Data Protection, Privacy and Combating Disinformation.”

In her address, Ombudsman Varol stated the protection of human rights in the digital age is not merely a legal or technical matter, but has also become an ethical, social and global responsibility.

Expressing her belief that the summit would strengthen international cooperation, Varol noted that every technological advancement throughout human history has reshaped societies, legal systems and the understanding of rights.

Noting that digital technologies, artificial intelligence systems and data-driven applications have now become an integral part of life, Varol stated that the transformation taking place across many sectors  from communication and education to from the economy to public services, presents significant opportunities, but also brings with it new risks and responsibilities.

Touching upon the issue of data protection, she underlined that individuals’ personal data is one of the fundamental elements of economic and social life, adding that the unlawful processing of personal data threatens not only privacy but also individuals’ freedoms and security.

She stressed that data protection should therefore be regarded as one of the fundamental human rights of the digital age, and emphasized the importance of establishing robust legal frameworks, strengthening independent control mechanisms as well as enhancing the accountability of both the public and private sectors.