Civil society groups urge rights-based digital policies across ASEAN

Civil society organizations are strengthening collaboration to promote and defend digital rights across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

A briefing paper titled “Rights at the Core – Towards a Rights-Respecting Digital Ecosystem in ASEAN” was launched at an event organized by Access Now, EngageMedia, FORUM-ASIA, Oxfam, and the Wikimedia Foundation, outlining movement-driven recommendations addressing challenges in the digital economy, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence (AI).

The document emphasizes the importance of targeted, needs-based investments in digital infrastructure to promote inclusive and meaningful online participation, while addressing digital illiteracy and reducing widening inequalities.

Liza Garcia, executive director of the Foundation for Media Alternatives, said the Philippines must place digital inclusivity at the center of its policy agenda. She emphasized that inclusion goes beyond access to devices and must address structural inequalities to ensure the safe and meaningful use of technology.

The paper urges the Philippines and other ASEAN member states to develop inclusive digital economy strategies anchored on rights-based approaches, particularly in the education sector.

Garcia also pointed to the persistent digital divide between urban and rural communities, noting that people in remote areas continue to face limited access. She said that despite the rapid growth of the digital economy, its benefits remain unevenly distributed, especially among women and other marginalized groups.

The briefing further calls for sustained consultations with ASEAN member states and civil society organizations throughout the development and implementation of digital policies. It adds that ASEAN institutions must uphold international human rights standards, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

On artificial intelligence, the paper recommends that the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), in consultation with civil society, develop a regional framework for environmentally sustainable and human rights-centered AI. It also calls for guidelines that protect people’s right to opt out of AI-powered technologies and services.

The paper further urges the ASEAN Secretariat to adopt a multistakeholder approach to AI governance that prioritizes public welfare over corporate interests.

Asked about safeguarding digital rights while ensuring the safety and privacy of the communities they serve, Garcia told DAILY TRIBUNE that for more than a decade, their organization has handled cases of violence but does not act as a service provider. Instead, it refers cases to partner institutions that can offer appropriate support, including civil society groups, legal organizations, and, in some cases, the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Cases are referred to the proper authorities, particularly those involving technology-facilitated gender-based violence, which are typically forwarded to the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group. Maintaining strong partnerships and knowing the appropriate channels are crucial to ensuring effective responses, said Leah Barbia, officer-in-charge of the Center for Gender Equality and Women’s Human Rights of the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines, in an interview with DAILY TRIBUNE.

Meanwhile, East Asia–ASEAN Programme Manager Cornelius Damar Hanung said there is a need for more enabling legislation that provides stronger safeguards. He also stressed the importance of strengthening legal aid services by equipping lawyers, prosecutors, judges, and other legal professionals with the necessary knowledge to handle technology-related cases, particularly amid the rise of AI and deepfakes.