New forms of intervention in the freedom of beliefs: international legal doctrine in the context of digital transformation

The article explores new forms of interference with freedom of beliefs arising in the context of digital transformation from the perspective of international law. Special attention is given to the analysis of changes in the understanding of forum internum—the internal sphere of beliefs, which is subject to absolute protection under international standards. The author examines the impact of digital technologies—behavioral analytics, personalization algorithms, mass surveillance, neuro-technologies, and emotion recognition systems—on an individual's ability to freely form and maintain their beliefs. Based on an analysis of doctrine, the practices of international bodies, and recent recommendations, it is revealed that the existing international legal system faces the necessity of adapting to new risks associated with artificial intelligence and digital oversight. The subject of the research is international legal standards and the doctrine of freedom of beliefs; the object is new forms of digital intervention and the reactions of international bodies and the scientific community. The work argues for the need to introduce new categories such as cognitive freedom and mental autonomy and suggests directions for improving international mechanisms for the protection of freedom of beliefs. The methodological foundation of the research includes comparative legal, formal legal, systemic, and structural-functional methods, as well as case analysis of decisions made by international bodies. Materials from UN reports, the "neuro-rights" doctrine, and developments in cognitive freedom have been used. For the first time in the scientific literature, a comprehensive analysis of digital threats to the forum internum as an international legal category is conducted. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the comprehensive international legal analysis of digital threats to freedom of beliefs and the justification of the need to develop a new category – “cognitive rights” – as a response to the challenges posed by AI and algorithmic oversight. The scientific approach and the practice of international bodies are already laying the groundwork for a new doctrine—the doctrine of protecting freedom of thought in the digital world. Its implementation will require efforts at both the universal and national levels, a revision of legislation, and the development of cooperation between states and technology companies. Approaches to clarifying the content of the forum internum in the context of the digital age are proposed.