Robust human rights due diligence needed to address human rights risks & impacts related to data-driven business conduct, according to new study
The German Institute for Human Rights and Institute for Business Ethics at the University of St. Gallen released a study in April 2020 that explores business and human rights in the data economy. The study maps challenges for human rights protection emerging from data- driven business conduct and suggests that addressing the corporate responsibility of technology companies through a business and human rights lens is beneficial as it anchors the debate in internationally established norms and universally accepted human rights. It also states that technology companies should engage in robust human rights due diligence to help prevent and address human rights harms.
The study includes several examples of allegations of human rights abuses by technology companies. Related stories on our website include:
- Tech companies' surveillance-based business models raise human rights concerns & threaten democracy, says Ranking Digital Rights' report
- Microsoft to sell stake in Israeli company AnyVision & announces it will end minority investments in companies that sell facial recognition technology
- USA: Amazon CEO announces support for facial recognition regulation while own product faces privacy & discrimination-related concerns
- Facial analysis technology often recreates racial & gender bias, says expert
- Google introduces 'Artificial Intelligence principles' that prohibit its use in weapons & human rights abuses
- Facebook establishes oversight board to review content moderation decisions
- Uber, Lyft & other ride-hailing co. drivers stage global strike over pay & working conditions
- USA: Civil rights groups call on Facebook to stop use of its platform to spread hate & violence & to ensure greater accountability of leadership
- Facebook & Twitter allegedly taking insufficient action to stop spread of hate speech & misinformation through their platforms
- Myanmar: Human rights assessment of Facebook reveals company not doing enough to prevent violence
- Facebook to face lawsuits alleging failure to protect users' personal information over Cambridge Analytica data breach