The Inter-American Court of Human Rights issued a judgment recognizing the international responsibility of the Colombian state for violating, among others, the rights to life, privacy, and informational self-determination. The decision highlights how Colombia, through various state agencies, conducted intelligence activities against members of a legal body in the country, collecting information without their consent and compiling files containing personal data. Additionally, it acknowledges that victims were not guaranteed access to intelligence files, thus depriving them of the ability to exercise their rights to update, rectify, or delete data as appropriate.
With this decision, the Inter-American Court emphasizes the responsibility of State Entities to comply not only with the authorization of data subjects but also with respect to the American Convention regarding the right to informational self-determination, which encompasses the right to access and control personal data under the power of any public body.
