A/HRC/41/41 expression, who has indicated that “human rights law gives companies the tools to articulate and develop policies and processes that respect democratic norms and counter authoritarian demands”. 20 Similarly, the Human Rights Council has recognized that “international human rights law should guide private sector actors and be the basis for their policies”.21 20. States, for their part, have obligations to protect human rights and prevent violations in relation to the actions or inaction of third parties such as businesses. Guiding principle 1 affirms that “States must protect against human rights abuse within their territory and/or jurisdiction by third parties, including business enterprises. This requires taking appropriate steps to prevent, investigate, punish and redress such abuse through effective policies, legislation, regulations and adjudication.”22 IV. Exercise of the rights to peaceful assembly and association in the digital age: opportunities and challenges A. Digital opportunities 21. Digital technologies have brought remarkable opportunities for the enjoyment of the rights of freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. By serving both as tools through which these rights can be exercised “offline” and as spaces where individuals can actively form online assemblies and associations, 23 digital technologies have vastly expanded the capacities of individuals and civil society groups to organize and mobilize, to advance human rights and to innovate for social change. 22. The role of social media in mobilizing people to the streets is well known. During his visit to Armenia in 2018, for instance, the Special Rapporteur heard several stories of how social media platforms, live-streaming tools and communication apps had played a key role in the “velvet” revolution of 2018 that had led to the resignation of the Prime Minister. The hashtags #MyStep and #MerzhirSerzhin had been used to share information, and mobilize citizens and gather their support, circumventing the government-controlled media. The #BlackLivesMatter movement for racial equality began with the use of a hashtag to mobilize communities in mass protests in the United States and other parts of the world against police violence and systemic racism towards people of African descent. Many youth movements across the world are supported by social media, as demonstrated by the #RoadSafetyMovement in Bangladesh, the #FeesMustFall campaign in South Africa, and the #FridaysForFuture and #ClimateStrikes global movement. 23. Individuals can now use online spaces to participate in a virtually connected civil society. Women activists, for example, use the Internet to connect and to exchange strategies, including across borders, and as a space for organizing. 24 The #MeToo movement is perhaps the most notable recent example. In 2017, survivors of sexual violence used social media platforms to share personal stories of sexual harassment and abuse and to call for gender equality in the workplace, under the hashtag #MeToo. Within a year, the hashtag had reportedly been used more than 19 million times 25 both by survivors and by supporters of the cause. Although the movement began in the United States, women also joined in France (#BalanceTonPorc), in the Arab world (#AnaKaman), in India (#MeTooIndia), in Ukraine (#IAmNotAfraidToSayIt) and in Mexico (#MeTooMexico) also joined. 20 21 22 23 24 25 6 See A/HRC/38/35. See Human Rights Council resolution 38/7. See A/HRC/17/31. See A/HRC/29/25/Add.1. A/HRC/35/9, paras. 23–24. Pew Research Center, “How social media users have discussed sexual harassment since #MeToo went viral”, 11 October 2018.