- universal moral and legal principles inherent to every person regardless of nationality, ethnicity, or status
- core rights
- life and security of person
- liberty and freedom of movement
- expression and access to information
- privacy and protection from surveillance
- property and economic participation
- assembly and association
- fair trial and due process
- key instruments: Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), European Convention on Human Rights (1950), International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966)
- natural rights tradition: Locke (life, liberty, property), Enlightenment philosophy
- digital rights: access to the internet, protection of personal data, freedom from algorithmic discrimination, right to encryption
- cyber encodes several rights structurally: censorship resistance protects expression, permissionless access protects participation, cryptographic identity protects privacy
- see also constitution, social contract, international law, surveillance, democracy