UN Warns Neurotechnology Threatens Fundamental Human Rights
Secretary-General António Guterres warns that government access to human brain data could lead to arbitrary detentions and privacy violations in criminal justice systems.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned on Thursday that the rapid advancement of neurotechnologies could allow governments to access and manipulate human brains, threatening fundamental human rights. A report from the secretary-general cautions that these tools could be used in investigative, judicial, and correctional contexts to forcefully extract information or predict future crimes, potentially resulting in privacy infringements and arbitrary detentions.
The United Nations recommends that thoughts be classified as highly sensitive personal data and that explicit consent be required for any use within criminal justice. The report highlights existing abuses, specifically noting that police in India have used Brain Electrical Oscillation Signature technology for two decades in murder, rape, and terrorism cases despite a lack of scientific validation.
While some regions have taken steps toward protection, including Chile's 2012 constitutional amendment and neural data laws in U.S. states like California, Colorado, and Montana, the report emphasizes the need for global regulations. The Neurorights Foundation further noted a lack of limits on how consumer neurotechnology companies handle customer brain data.
