The fourth generation of human rights: meaningful content in the digital society

The article is devoted to a study of the concept of the fourth generation of human rights in the context of modern challenges of the digital society. The relevance of the study is due to the need to rethink the traditional generational classification of human rights, developed by K. Vasak, in connection with the emergence of fundamentally new forms of legal relations, where the object is data and information in digital format. The purpose of the study is to conduct a theoretical and legal analysis of the concept of the fourth generation of human rights in the context of determining its content in the digital society. The study uses a systematic approach, comparative law, structural-functional and prognostic methods. The limitations of the traditional three-generational classification are analyzed, in particular its Eurocentric nature and disregard for the cultural diversity of legal traditions. The dual nature of the impact of digitalization on the human rights system is revealed: modification of traditional rights and emergence of fundamentally new challenges. The structure of the fourth generation of human rights, which includes digital and somatic rights, is studied. Specific characteristics of digital human rights that distinguish them from previous generations are identified: a specific object of legal relations - information and data in digital format; implementation through digital technologies. The article draws attention to the ethical dilemmas associated with the expansion of the catalog of human rights, in particular the potential conflict with traditional religious and moral norms. It is stated that the formation of the fourth generation of human rights reflects fundamental changes in the nature of social relations under the influence of digital technologies. This transformation requires not just a supplement to the existing system of rights, but its qualitative reconfiguration, taking into account new forms of social interaction and the likely challenges and threats caused by the nature of the digital space. The conclusion is made about the need for a balanced approach to the development of the fourth generation of rights, combining legal, ethical, technological and social aspects to ensure the protection of human dignity in conditions of rapid civilizational changes.