Digital technologies hold transformative potential – boosting economic opportunities, improving governance, and bridging divides. Yet, as our world becomes increasingly interconnected through digital platforms, we must confront a critical challenge. How do we ensure that the tools designed to uplift do not become instruments of exclusion, surveillance, or harm?
In our efforts to build digital solutions, we must confront an uncomfortable truth: good intentions alone are not enough. Anticipating and addressing potential harms is as critical as the innovation itself. As digital technologies transform development work, this fundamental commitment emerges at the forefront. While the Digital Principles‘ preamble establishes the baseline commitment to “do no harm” in our direct work, the principle to Anticipate and mitigate harms pushes us to proactively identify and address potential negative impacts, even those that may originate outside our immediate control.
This evolution from the original principle of “Address privacy and security” to “Anticipate and mitigate harms” recognizes that digital initiatives – particularly those dealing with data – present a more complex and diverse set of potential harms that require proactive rather than reactive approaches.
What does this Principle look like in practice?
Consider this scenario from a recent digital transformation initiative: A government agency launches an ambitious digital ID program to streamline public service delivery. The technology is cutting-edge, the interface is user-friendly, and initial adoption looks promising. However, six months into implementation, data reveals that certain ethnic minorities face systematic exclusion due to language barriers and documentation requirements, effectively cutting them off from essential services. The project team realizes they need to reassess not just their technical approach, but their entire framework for ensuring inclusive access in the digital age.
This example highlights why we need to think beyond technical solutions to consider the broader implications of our digital initiatives. As one development practitioner in Kenya notes, “When we talk about anticipating harms in digital development, we’re really talking about protecting fundamental human rights in an increasingly complex digital landscape.“
The refreshed Digital Principles emphasize this expanded understanding of harm prevention. It’s about aligning with data protection and cybersecurity good practices, as well as national and regional legal frameworks and technical standards. It also means going further, conducting thorough impact assessments that look at how human rights considerations are integrated into all digital policies, programs, and initiatives.
Take another example from a healthcare digitization project in West Africa. The initial focus was on improving service delivery through digital health records. However, the project team took time to understand the legal and regulatory landscape first. They discovered gaps in local data protection laws that could leave sensitive health information vulnerable to exploitation by insurance companies and employers. Instead of proceeding with just technical solutions, they worked with local authorities to strengthen the regulatory framework while developing their system. As the project lead explains, “We realized that building a secure system wasn’t enough – we needed to help build the ecosystem that would protect people’s rights in the long term.“
Effective harm reduction demands understanding of the entire ecosystem.
This comprehensive approach to harm prevention requires us to look at multiple levels:
- The regulatory environment – Are there adequate legal frameworks to protect rights and data?
- Institutional capacity – Are organizations equipped to implement legal frameworks? Are there systems in place for online dispute resolution?
- Technical standards – Do systems align with international best practices for privacy and security?
- Accountability and verification – Are there mechanisms in place, such as system audits and continuous monitoring, to ensure systems perform as intended? Are there clear responsibility chains to ensure any issues identified are quickly addressed?
- Transparency and public participation – Are there opportunities for civil society to engage in systems development and provide meaningful input on governance? Can relevant datasets and documentation be published with open access (according to security and privacy standards)?
- Social impact – How might our initiatives affect different groups, especially vulnerable populations?
Real-world implementation has shown us that successful harm prevention requires systematic approaches. The UN’s Universal DPI Safeguards Framework provides concrete guidance on this approach. Key recommendations include establishing ‘effective remedy and redress’ mechanisms and designing digital infrastructure that proactively protects vulnerable populations. These principles go beyond technical solutions, focusing on creating entire ecosystems that inherently respect and protect human rights.
Organizations are increasingly integrating these considerations through activities such as:
- Portfolio reviews examining human rights implications
- Enhanced digital security measures for partners
- Regular assessments of potential impacts on marginalized communities
- Collaborations across sectors – public, private, and civil society – to better identify and address harms
- Implementation of online dispute resolution (ODR) mechanisms that can handle both system-level grievances and user-to-user disputes
- Alignment with the Principles for Digital Development and the Donor Principles for Human Rights in the Digitial Age
Help us forge the path ahead.
Looking forward, the challenge lies in making this Principle actionable across diverse contexts. How do we ensure that small-scale digital initiatives have the same robust approach to harm prevention as large-scale ones? How do we build capacity among implementing partners to conduct thorough impact assessments? To answer these questions, we must also consider the Principle Use evidence to improve outcomes. Harm mitigation requires gathering stories of people’s experiences and adapting digital initiatives accordingly.
Do you have experience implementing harm prevention strategies in your digital initiatives? We would love to hear your stories about balancing innovation with protection, about navigating complex regulatory landscapes, or about ensuring human rights remain central to digital development work. Share your insights and help us build a knowledge base that benefits our entire community.
Together, we can create digital solutions that not only avoid harm but actively contribute to protecting rights and promoting positive development outcomes in our increasingly digital world.
