Developing a human-rights compatible governance framework for quantum computing

Quantum computers hold significant promise for peaceful applications, but one of the more immediate potential applications is breaking of public key encryption technologies. This poses significant risks to the information security of global digital infrastructure in a broader sense. At the same time, the development of quantum computing is a quintessentially scientific undertaking. There is a tension in the scientific freedom required to develop these technologies, and the measures to mitigate the risks associated with quantum computers. Policy for resolving this tension must be in line with the human right to science, read together with the right to privacy and the right to freedom of expression. In this article, I apply these rights to the development of quantum computing to provide guidance for government policy on quantum computing. I conclude that states must create the conditions for scientific research to flourish, even if this research may carry significant societal risks. This applies also to research and development of quantum technologies. In the context of quantum computing, this primarily means investing in the development and uptake of alternative encryption technologies which are resistant to attacks by quantum computers. It also means regulating the use of these technologies for applications which are undesirable.