Future of Digital Rights in ASEAN - Consultation on Cybersecurity, Digital Economy, and Artificial Intelligence

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) stands at a pivotal moment in the development of its digital future. While the region’s ongoing digital transformation presents substantial opportunities for economic growth, innovation, and regional integration, it simultaneously introduces a range of complex challenges related to human rights, equity, and accountability.

Disparities in digital infrastructure, digital literacy, and access to technology remain pronounced—particularly affecting rural populations, women, youth and marginalized communities. Furthermore, the rapid expansion of surveillance technologies, rising cases of disinformation and misinformation, and limited safeguards for data protection and AI governance pose significant risks to civic space and democratic participation.

The conclusion of the ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2025, the formation of the ASEAN AI Working Group, and Malaysia’s 2025 Chairmanship present a timely and strategic opportunity to call for rights-based digital governance frameworks that uphold international human rights standards, ensure corporate accountability, and promote inclusive and equitable digital development.

In recognition of this pivotal moment, Oxfam, the Wikimedia Foundation, EngageMedia, Access Now, and the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) have come together to lead the development of a Briefing Paper on ASEAN and Digital Rights, aiming at influencing ASEAN’s agenda on cybersecurity, digital economy, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). 

The convening of this in-person consultation will build upon an online consultation to be held in July 2025, which aims to validate preliminary findings and incorporate a diverse range of perspectives. This in-person consultation at DRAPAC aims to further refine the policy brief and consolidate its recommendations, ensuring the final paper is both robust and inclusive. The official launch of the briefing paper is anticipated by the end of October 2025, followed by broad dissemination through multiple platforms and strategic engagements across the region.

Proposed modality of the roundtable discussion:

• Opening to present the audience findings from the briefing paper and how it is going to be used for advocacy to ASEAN bodies and brief explanation of the session and setting expectation (5-10 mins)
• Break out group into sub-thematic issues (cybersecurity, digital economy, and AI), with one facilitator per each thematic group (50 mins)
• Sharing key points from each group (20 mins)
• Closing and ways forward (10 mins)

1. Laura Naw
   Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
2. Rachel Arinii Judhistari
   Wikimedia Foundation
3. Darika Bamrungchok
   Access Now
4. Lorenzo Urbinati
   OXFAM