Human Rights in the Digital Age

Theme lead: Dr Ella McPherson 

CGHR’s Human Rights in the Digital Age theme addresses the emergent and rapidly evolving changes wrought to human rights practices and norms by the use of digital technologies. With respect to practices, this includes human rights fact-finding and advocacy; with respect to norms, this includes human rights related to communication, information, expression, privacy, assembly and association. 

The research and activities under this theme approach human rights from a communications perspective and, as such, are particularly concerned with pluralism and solidarity. Another core concept of the theme is risk, particularly risk governance around perceived threats to security and facticity.   

Praxis research in this theme includes academic startup, The Whistle, as well as the Digital Verification Corps and innovative, interactive tools such as the Social Life of Data experience, the Digital Human Rights Toolkit, and the chatbot providing information for asylum-seekers in the UK.  Empirical scholarship includes investigations of human rights fact-finding using digital tools, reimaginings of the practice of witnessing, and explorations of the digitally-mediated freedom of assembly.   

Research Project

Open Source Investigation for Academics

Events

Lunch time talk with Rebekah Larsen – Conservative talk radio in rural USA

On Monday, 24th February 2025 Rebekah Larsen joined us for a very interesting lunch time talk about conservative talk radio in rural USA.

Events

CGHR Practitioner Series 2025 – Meeting Fred Abrahams

On Wednesday, 26 February 2025 we had the great pleasure of welcoming Fred Abrahams remotely for our third Practitioner Series talk.

Event

Beyond infotainment and digital-only paradigms: Conservative talk radio in rural USA

24/02/2025

SG1, Alison Richard Building, University of Cambridge

Events

CGHR Practitioner Series 2025 with Dr Matthew Gillett

On 12 February 2025, CGHR had the great pleasure of inviting Dr Matthew Gillett to give the second of this year’s CGHR Practitioner Series talks.

Article

CGHR Practitioner Series 2025 launch event

For the first talk in our 2025 Practitioner series, CGHR had the great pleasure of inviting Tigs Louis-Puttick, a political organiser and non-profit founder.