EURO 2024 sponsors face allegations of human rights abuses & unethical practices
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UEFA EURO 2024's major Chinese sponsors - Alibaba, BYD, and Vivo - are facing serious allegations of human rights abuses and unethical practices.
Alibaba is accused of offering facial recognition software targeting ethnic minorities, particularly Uyghurs. Its e-commerce platform, AliExpress, is under investigation for allowing illegal content on its platform, including pornographic materials (accessible to minors) and fake medicine. BYD and Vivo have been linked to the use of Uyghur forced labour in their supply chains.
These allegations raise critical questions about UEFA's ethical evaluation of its partners and due diligence processes. UEFA defends its controversial partnerships with Chinese and Qatari sponsors for the European Football Championship, stating that it is "fully aware" of its social responsibility but is "a confederation of football associations and not a political player".
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited Alibaba, BYD, and Vivo to respond to the concerns. AliExpress provided a response addressing allegations of illegal content on its platform. BYD and Vivo did not respond.