Geneva - New York: Europe and the Arabs
The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy said that neurotechnologies—which can record, decode, and even modify brain activity—offer enormous potential in medicine, communications, and research. However, she warned that they also present "unprecedented risks, including unauthorized access, manipulation, and misuse of what should remain our most private domain: our thoughts and mental processes."
In her address to the 58th session of the Human Rights Council, Special Rapporteur Ana Nogres said that as these technologies develop, so do the ethical and legal challenges they pose to fundamental human rights, particularly the right to privacy.
The report presented by the independent UN expert to the Council highlights the benefits and risks of neurotechnologies. It emphasized that while they offer groundbreaking solutions for treating neurological disorders, enhancing cognitive functions, and expanding human capabilities, they also raise serious concerns.

Risks to Individual Thoughts
The report noted the ability of neurotechnologies to decode brain activity, allowing access to "an individual's most intimate thoughts and feelings." In this context, Nogris said, "Without appropriate safeguards, this could lead to unauthorized surveillance or even coercion. Governments, corporations, or malicious actors could exploit this access to influence personal decisions, behaviors, and ideologies, fundamentally undermining personal autonomy and mental well-being."
She added that these technologies are also capable of stimulating specific neural patterns, which could be used to "artificially shape opinions, feelings, or even memories," raising profound ethical concerns and "undermining the fundamental principle of free will."
The UN expert also noted that the processing of neural data—derived directly from the nervous system—opens the door to a new form of discrimination and abuse, potentially deepening existing social inequalities and "creating a new class of marginalized individuals based on their neural characteristics."
She pointed to the risk of hacking neural technologies that connect brain activity to digital networks, exposing individuals to identity theft, "or even allowing third parties to remotely influence neural activity." Protecting Dignity and Autonomy
The UN expert stressed the need to establish a new category of human rights aimed at protecting individuals' dignity and autonomy in the face of these emerging technologies, including:
Protecting individuals from unauthorized access to neurological data
Protecting the cognitive and emotional integrity of individuals
Ensuring individuals have full control over their thoughts and decisions
Preventing biases in access to and use of neurotechnologies
Ensuring that all individuals, regardless of their socioeconomic status, benefit from developments in this field.
Nogris emphasized that regulating neurotechnologies is "not just a legal imperative, but a moral imperative." She added: "We must act now to put in place safeguards to ensure that these powerful technologies are used to serve humanity rather than exploit it. As we stand at the crossroads of scientific innovation and human rights protection, we must choose a path that prioritizes dignity, privacy, and autonomy."
The UN expert called on all Member States, international organizations, and relevant stakeholders to work together to adopt regulatory measures that uphold these principles. She said, "We must ensure that in our pursuit of technological advancement, we do not compromise the very essence of what makes us human: our ideas, our identity, and our free will." Special rapporteurs and independent experts are appointed by the Human Rights Council in Geneva, an international body responsible for the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide. They are tasked with examining human rights situations and reporting on them to the Human Rights Council. It should be noted that this position is honorary; these experts are not UN employees and do not receive remuneration for their work.