Space for civic voices and human rights continues to shrink while civil society movements face resistance from both state and non-state actors across the world. Offences against vulnerable communities – minorities, low-income people, women, children, transgenders, and people with special needs – continue making headlines. Similarly, Balochistan and former tribal areas often come under the spotlight for rights issues. Students have now risen for union rights. The government must ensure that rights violations are noticed, victims compensated and violators of the law punished. Despite having achieved excellence in science and technology and trade arenas, the modern world has been selective on human rights issues as per diplomatic, ethnic and geographical perspectives. This global Human Rights Day reminds us of the glaring division on the issue. Take the example of India-held Kashmir, where over eight million people have been deprived of their right to self-determination as pledged by UN resolutions for decades. They have virtually been under state terrorism. Prime Minister Imran Khan has appealed to the world’s conscience to act against the “illegal annexation” of occupied Kashmir by the Indian government. The plight of Rohingyas and Palestinians also deserve international attention. The human rights index can be improved by manufacturing an effective international mechanism to monitor violations and punish those usurping rights. The United Nations has been used by world powers to punish a few and spare many on rights issues. Over the years, social networks have emerged which track rights violations around the world and raise awareness on related issues among stakeholders. Most of them exist in the virtual world. These social networks, mostly online, have changed several areas of society – political, social, economic, cultural and environmental – and give voice to the voiceless and power to the powerless. They have defeated media censorship, allowed thousands of people to express themselves freely and in few cases, they have helped topple regimes. The Arab Spring demolished regimes just with the help of social media. But all is not well on the social media scene too. Governments suspend social media accounts of activists, making social activism vulnerable too. It is time international legislation is done to save online movements. *