The right to self-determination refers to the ability to make decisions about our own destiny, without interference from other people. This is a fundamental right linked to the dignity of people, that is, it is inherent to the human condition.
Self-determination implies having control over oneself and one of those aspects refers to our personal information, with whom and when we share it. That is, we must have the right to decide when we share our information and under what conditions.
When we can't control our information, we lose the ability to make informed decisions about our lives. We become vulnerable to manipulation and to making decisions induced by third parties. Sounds familiar?
Self-determination and privacy are particularly important in the digital age, as our information is being collected, analyzed, and shared. I don't want to say that we should isolate ourselves, but that we should exercise the right to decide what information we share, with whom we share that information, and to revoke that consent without conditions.
Unfortunately, the current legal framework is not always sufficient to guarantee our right to self-determination. Many companies use legal loopholes to obtain our consent and use our data in ways we never would have consented to.
To guarantee our right to self-determination, we need rules that allow us to have greater control over our personal information, in this sense the blockchain opens an opportunity to claim that right.
In short, self-determination and privacy are intrinsically linked rights. Without privacy, we cannot exercise the right to decide over our own lives, which is why we require tools that allow us to protect our privacy and be in control of our personal information.
