The global coronavirus pandemic has had a life-changing impact on people around the world. Since the virus was first discovered in December 2019, it has infected millions of people around the globe.
In times of crisis where there is a threat to public health on this scale, governments are allowed, and often required, to take more restrictive measures than they would in normal times. However, many governments seemed to use the coronavirus outbreak as an opportunity to further entrench repressive measures, and far overreach the limits in place under international human rights laws on their powers during such times. Today, increased surveillance, restrictions on free expression and information, and limits on public participation are becoming increasingly common.
During the pandemic, ARTICLE 19 challenged threats to freedom of expression around the world. We continue to monitor and report on government overreach, and to urge governments and other actors to ensure human rights, including the right to free expression, are fully protected as parts of efforts to combat the virus.
Across the world, governments have been scrambling to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. As health care systems struggle to treat all patients and governments spend billions buying equipment, supporting workers and keeping businesses afloat, a significant casualty has been the public’s right to know. There has been a failure across the globe to ensure that […]
Today, Twitter, Facebook, Google and YouTube have a difficult decision to make: should they remove footage by President Donald Trump that suggests disinfectant could be a treatment for coronavirus? In his daily press briefing on 23 April, Trump said: “I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out in a minute. One minute. And is […]
ARTICLE 19 has published a briefing on how states, the media and social media companies can help to combat COVID-19 (coronavirus) by committing to transparency, tackling misinformation and promoting authoritative health advice. They also have a role to play in addressing hate speech directed at individuals of Chinese or Asian descent, connected to the coronavirus outbreak. Acting […]
International human rights standards allow states to restrict free expression and some other rights in order to protect public health during a time of public emergency, only in very limited circumstances. Any restrictions must meet the following conditions:
