On 12 March 2026, GATE submitted a report in response to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ Call for Inputs regarding the protection of human rights defenders in the digital age.
Summary
This submission examines how coordinated anti-gender movements, state-engineered digital repression, and AI-driven disinformation create increasingly hostile digital environments that undermine the safety, legitimacy, and work of trans and gender diverse human rights defenders.
What are the challenges?
Trans and gender diverse Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) have been facing coordinated online harassment, disinformation campaigns, digital surveillance, and restrictive legislation, often amplified by the weak platform accountability and emerging AI technologies that reproduce bias and scale harmful narratives.
What is the impact on trans communities?
These harmful dynamics result in:
- psychological harm and burnout among activists,
- shrinking civic and digital space,
- loss of funding and advocacy opportunities, and
- the disruption or closure of trans-led organizations and essential community services.
Recommendations to increase the digital safety of trans and gender diverse human rights defenders
GATE recommends that States, technology companies, and international actors should strengthen protections for trans and gender diverse HRDs by:
- repealing discriminatory laws,
- regulating digital platforms and AI systems to prevent disinformation and bias, and
- providing sustained support for trans-led organizations and digital security initiatives.
