The swift growth of digital technologies has transformed how personal information is created, gathered, and handled, leading to substantial concerns regarding the safeguarding of the right to informational privacy s. This paper investigates the connection between digital footprints, which are the data trails individuals leave while engaging with digital platforms, and human rights, focusing specifically on privacy in contemporary society. Utilising international human rights frameworks, recent national legal developments, and emerging technological advancements, the research scrutinises how the large-scale collection of metadata, online behaviour patterns, biometric information, and social media interactions complicates conventional concepts of privacy. The paper underscores the conflict between individual rights and the increasing surveillance conducted by governments and businesses, propelled by big data analytics, artificial intelligence, and algorithm-based profiling. Additionally, it delves into significant legal and ethical issues related to consent, data protection, international data flows, and the obligations of private entities in digital governance. The findings indicate that current regulatory systems frequently fail to keep pace with technological progress, leading to insufficient safeguards against misuse, discrimination, and the erosion of individual autonomy. The study concludes by highlighting the urgency for stronger data protection legislation, human rights-centred regulatory methods, increased digital literacy, and clear technological design to ensure that privacy continues to be a fundamental human right within an ever-evolving digital landscape.
Ayushi Garg (2026) studied this question.