October 2018

The information and communication technology (ICT) sector has come under intense scrutiny for its policies and practices on human rights in recent years including around alleged collusion with repressive regimes, concerns about freedom of expression, the right to privacy and manipulative use of private user data on social media platforms, as well as labour rights in supply chains both at the manufacturing and raw material sourcing level. The changing nature of the sector considering the development of new software and technology, the increasing use of digital products, and the threat of authoritarian government intervention, makes it essential for ICT companies to continuously reflect these factors and strengthen their approach to human rights. 

This brief provides a snapshot of human rights in the ICT sector based on data collected by the Resource Centre. It provides an overview of company responses to human rights allegations, case studies of alleged abuses, company action, and guidance materials to improve human rights due diligence in the ICT sector. 

This briefing was made possible thanks to funding from Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Read the brief