Shaping a digital future that safeguards human rights – Generational perspectives from Serbia

This paper aims to explore the impact of digital transformation on human rights and security protection in the age of modern technologies, as well as to support policymakers in designing a rights-oriented and human-centric digital transformation. This challenge prompted the authors to examine relevant literature and analyze current policies and measures aimed at enhancing proactive strategies. To this end, an online empirical survey was conducted with 132 participants (ages 18-65+) from Serbia during the last quarter of 2024. The research findings support the hypothesis that the relationship between human rights and technological development is highly significant. The results emphasize privacy as the foundation of digital rights, focusing on the ethics of data usage and the protection of individuals’ rights to freely express opinions and ideas online. Bridging the digital divide is crucial to ensure that technological advancements benefit all individuals equitably. Promoting access to digital literacy and education is essential for enabling individuals to effectively engage in discussions about these issues in the context of modern technologies. Furthermore, the effective protection of human rights requires coordinated efforts from policymakers, decision-makers, and institutional stakeholders to establish a framework that upholds justice, equality, and dignity in the digital era, as highlighted by the findings of this paper.