From Innovation to Inclusion? The Human Rights Dilemma of Digital Citizenship

JusGov - Justice and Governance Research Centre, University of Minho Law School, Portugal

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Abstract

The development of digital identity systems, driven by biometric technologies, blockchain, and artificial intelligence, has been presented as a tool for security, innovation, and efficiency in public and private services. Yet, their rapid implementation raises critical concerns regarding privacy, data protection, and non-discrimination. The centralization of sensitive data and the interconnection of state and corporate databases create risks of expanded surveillance and exclusion of vulnerable groups. This paper examines the construction of digital citizenship in the European Union, with particular attention to the European Digital Identity Wallet, reflecting on its implications for social justice and democratic participation. The study is grounded in a legal and philosophical framework, integrating insights from human rights law, critical technology studies, and social studies of innovation. It argues that, while digital citizenship is conceived as a vector of inclusion, it risks becoming a mechanism of inequality and control if robust safeguards are not implemented. The analysis underscores the need for public policies that guarantee transparency, proportionality, and independent oversight. It further suggests that digital citizenship should not be reduced to a technological instrument but reimagined as a space for emancipation and democratic participation, where human dignity remains the guiding principle.