GENEVA, April 24 (Xinhua) -- The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Wednesday urged states to adopt a "smart mix of measures to regulate new technologies" after a four-day visit to California's Silicon Valley.
Bachelet announced plans to launch a project to help technology companies incorporate established international human rights principles into workable company practices, the rights office said in a statement.
"Finding a smart mix in a digital, networked environment is particularly challenging and requires innovative thinking," Bachelet said on her return to Geneva.
"The regulation of new technologies needs to be flexible and capable of evolving to address the changing needs of this sector."
She said the world could not afford to underestimate the urgency of finding solutions to unforeseen and possibly overwhelming threats to human rights emerging due to technological advances.
"Technology can, and should, be all about progress. But the hugely invasive powers that are being unleashed may do incalculable damage if there are not sufficient checks in place to respect human rights," said Bachelet.
During her visit to the Silicon Valley area from April 15-18, the UN Human Rights Chief engaged with top executives from major tech companies including Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and Salesforce.
"My frank conversations with the tech companies included tough questions about the threats posed by the technologies they invented and control, as well as their positive potential," the UN rights chief said.
"These are not abstract concerns about the future, but are current reality for millions, especially the most marginalized on all continents."
She said that directly or indirectly, new technologies are revolutionizing the way people think, the ways they are governed, the food eaten, and the air breathed.
"There is an understandable rush to regulate new technologies. But poor regulation can be just as harmful as no regulation," said Bachelet.
"States need to step in to regulate companies, but at the same time, companies need to step up to meet their own responsibilities," added the UN rights chief.
