TED ÇORuM COLLEGE / 11-A
Promoting And Protecting Human Rights , Democracy , And The Rule Of Law In Cyberspace
Eylül DİNLER
72
We have interviewed Assoc . Prof . Veysel Dinler who gives lectures on human rights at Hitit university . The lecturer shared valuable information on human rights , democracy and the rule of law in cyberspace .
1 . as a lecturer on human rights , what can you say about protecting human rights in cyberspaces ?
The protection of human rights in cyberspace has advantages and disadvantages compared to real life . Since people do not have physical contact , criminals cannot violate rights through physical contact and violence ; these rights are more protectable in cyberspace . On the other hand , lack of physical contact causes people who do not know each other to behave more rudely towards others . Crimes such as insults , harassment , access to private information are easier . Criminal minds can steal people ’ s photos , texts , and other confidential data and hack their cyber profiles .
2 . Do you think it is possible to protect human rights in cyberspaces ? If yes , how ?
The most crucial benefit of cyberspace in protecting human rights is enriching sensitivity to human rights . Cyberspace enables rights defenders to reach millions of people simultaneously without direct physical contact . The excellent organizing power in cyberspace is essential to raise awareness of human rights and publicize human rights violations .
3 . As someone who has worked on electoral systems , how do you think democracy can be adapted to cyber environments ?
Well , cyberspace is an excellent opportunity for direct democracy . Representative democracy was born when individuals delegated their decision-making and law-making authority to representatives . The increasing population of the countries did not allow people to come together and reach a collective decision making . Today , the Internet and computer technology are highly convenient for analyzing billions of data . It almost means a transition to direct democracy . In this case , the most critical issue that we should not ignore is that people do not have enough opportunities to use computer technology . At the same time , the confidentiality of personal data is still ambiguous .
4 . Could you give an example of how democracy can be used in cyberspaces ?
When representative democracy emerged , it was considered a majority ’ s victory at the ballot box . However , today the