Ethical meditations for a human right to an analogue life

This chapter examines the ethical complexities of a right to be excluded from the Information Society (IS) and to live an analogue life amidst rapid digital advancements. While acknowledging the benefits of digital inclusion – such as improved communication, access to information and economic opportunities – the chapter also highlights its challenges, including threats to privacy, data protection, social equity and individual autonomy. The chapter further notes a growing opposition to compulsory digital integration and observes an increasing preference for analogue experiences among parts of the population for a balanced digital transition that incorporates analogue elements. Through examining various ethical frameworks – utilitarian, contractualist, deontological, virtue, discourse and care ethics – the chapter advocates for a balanced approach to digital inclusion that respects individual rights and societal interests. Ultimately, it argues for inclusive policymaking that accommodates both digital and analogue preferences, supporting the establishment of a human right to an analogue life, similar to the ‘droit à l’intégrité numérique’ recently enacted in Geneva’s Constitution. This right to exclusion, akin to the Cynic tradition of autonomy and asceticism, is framed not as a rejection of technology but as selective engagement with technology on one’s own terms.