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Article

4 Apr 2020

Author:
Isedua Oribhabor & Peter Micek, Access Now

Commentary: Transparency reports are one of the best ways for companies to share their actions to respect human rights

"The what, why, and who of transparency reporting," 2 April 2020

Disclosing threats to privacy and free expression via transparency reports is one of the best ways for companies to communicate to their users and the public the steps they take to respect human rights... Transparency reports provide an important vehicle for users and civil society to push back against government abuse... [and] help us understand surveillance laws in different jurisdictions, provide useful information on network shutdowns and disruptions, give insight into online content moderation practices, and show us which companies are pushing back against improper requests for user information. Unfortunately, we’ve seen a steady decline in transparency reporting over the last few years.

... [A] transparency report should include: requests from both government and private third parties, information on enforcement of the company’s own terms of use and community guidelines, and the number of requests for both user data and content, as well as orders for restricting access or blocking content (to include network disruptions or internet shutdowns)... Every company that handles user data should release a transparency report...  includ[ing] social media platforms, gig economy companies, VPN providers, telcos, and everything in between.

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