Technology Standardization and Human Rights in the Digital Era: Cases of China’s New IP and EU AI Standardization

In the digital era, technical standards have emerged as key governance instruments that embody social values and power dynamics, as well as technical consensus. This study examines the dual implications of standardization for human rights through a comparative analysis of two cases: China’s New IP proposal and the European Union (EU)’s artificial intelligence (AI) standardization initiatives, which have been expanding globally. Although New IP, led by China, emphasizes technical improvements to existing internet architecture, it also reflects political intentions to strengthen state control and expand censorship, raising serious concerns about potential human rights violations. In contrast, the EU’s standardization efforts, exemplified by the EU Artificial Intelligence Act, emphasized transparency and explainability. This represents an attempt to embed human rights principles in the design and governance of AI systems. Through this comparison, the study demonstrates that technical standards can function either as authoritarian instruments that institutionalize surveillance and control, or as democratic tools that embed human rights principles into technological governance. Nevertheless, there are still significant limitations in effectively integrating human rights considerations into standardization processes. These include structural challenges such as limited civil society participation, cultural and professional gaps between technical experts and human rights advocates, and restricted involvement of Global South countries. The study concludes by underscoring the need to strengthen human rights capacity within standard-setting organizations, expand meaningful participation of diverse stakeholders, and establish institutional mechanisms to address global imbalances. Such measures are essential for ensuring that digital technology standardization evolves as a process that genuinely integrates and protects human rights.