By Alex Sinha, Aryeh Neier Fellow, Human Rights Watch & ACLU

The U.N. Human Rights Council voted today to establish a watchdog to monitor the state of privacy rights worldwide. That watchdog, called a special rapporteur, was created by a consensus vote of all members of the council. That’s very good news, and it’s been a long time coming. As we noted recently, it’s been clear for a while that privacy has been one of the most widely violated rights not to have its own, dedicated rapporteur.

For all its interest in promoting human rights around the world, you’d think the United States would be more sensitive to the ways its own surveillance policies undermine those very rights.