Permanent Mission of India
New York
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Explanation of Position on the resolution “Promotion and protection of human rights
in the context of Digital Technologies”

Statement by Ms. Bhavika Mangalanandan, First Secretary
18 November 2025

Mr Chair,

My delegation thanks the co-facilitators for presenting the resolution on “Protection of human rights in the context of Digital Technologies”. We appreciate their open and constructive approach during the negotiation process.

2. At the same time, my delegation would like to make the following observations. We express our reservation on references to unequivocal condemnation of internet shutdowns. The text, unfortunately, does not adopt a nuanced approach to this issue that necessitates taking ground-realities into account when States make such decisions. In prescribing good practices, UN bodies should not overlook the mandates of national legislation. Laws and policies are made in State specific contexts – taking into account regional, social as well as national security realities.

3. In India, the Telecommunications Act, 2023 grants the government the ability to suspend telecommunication networks and services. However, such powers are to be used only in cases of public emergencies, threats to the sovereignty, integrity and defense of India and most importantly, to maintain public order. Moreover, the legislation was drafted to protect against executive overreach and caveats such as mandatory written orders specifying geographic areas, specific duration and a 24-hour review period have been incorporated. This is an example of consultative policy-making in action. India, as a responsible member of the international community, continues to protect the human rights of its citizens, even in rapidly evolving situations. Such nuances must be reflected to get a holistic picture on the use of digital technology.

4. My delegation also expresses reservations on the use of new terminology such as “racial” and “ethnic” when referring to the digital divide. We agree with the need to act decisively to close the digital divide, however, to refer to digital divide in terms of race and ethnicity seeks to needlessly politicize a noble goal.

5. Lastly, while flagging concerns of cyberbullying, cyberstalking and child exploitation as well as expressing concern regarding the spread of misinformation and disinformation on social media platforms, the resolution stops short of expectations. The text neither highlights the imperative for holding technology service providers accountable nor does it mention the growing threats to the misuse of personal data and need for data protection, as we had suggested.

7. However, our vote in favour signals our continued commitment to the cause of making online platforms safe and more transparent for all. We hope that future iterations of this resolution accurately reflect the realities on the ground.

I thank you.