There is no escaping it – we live in a digital world. In some ways, that is a wonderful thing. We are more connected to other people and cultures around the world. We have opportunities to learn from and work with people who are the best in their fields from the comfort of our homes. We can maintain and strengthen personal relationships, even with those who are geographically very distant from us.

While the internet presents many opportunities and technology has changed (and is continuing to change) the way we live our lives in positive ways, it is important that we do not dismiss and ignore some of the very real threats it can present, too. I am not here to tell you to bin your smartphone, delete all your social media accounts and disconnect yourself from the online communities you are part of. How much technology you introduce into your life is very much your choice.

As I have explained, I want to educate you about some of those threats and share practical solutions that you can implement if you see fit. This is about all of us feeling as though we have some measure of control over shaping our digital, as well as our physical, lives. You may never have considered your digital privacy before, or thought about how the rights you have online intertwine with your rights in the real world.

I want to help you see the whole picture, so that you are informed in your choices of both when and how you use technology in your life. In this first part of the book, I will explain why there is no such thing as digital rights, because these are simply our human rights, and share an insight into some events that have happened since the birth of the internet that have contributed to where we find ourselves today, in an increasingly digital society.

I also know from personal experience what can happen when technology is used against you to erode your privacy, which is why I am so passionate about our human rights in a digital world and ensuring we all have privacy, both off‐ and online. I share my story, as well as some of the things I learnt through my experiences, in Chapter 2.

Let's start by looking at our human rights in the context of our digital lives, what those rights are and why they are so important for each and every one of us.