2025 KnowTheChain ICT benchmark
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The information, communications and technology (ICT) sector is a major driver for the global economy. In Taiwan, the sector accounts for 15% of GDP, in India 13%, and in Malaysia 13.8%. Rapid advances in generative AI and 5G technology are set to reshape industries globally on a massive scale.
Vital components of all electronics systems, from smartphones to electric vehicles, are at the forefront of renewable energy technologies key to the energy transition. In short, the potential of the sector to contribute to just transitions across sectors (from tech to energy), built on respect for human rights and delivery of shared prosperity for business, investors and workers alike, is significant.
But where these business models rely on supply chains built on the labour of millions of workers at heightened risk of exploitation and forced labour, more is required of businesses – and their investors – to realise positive outcomes. The core findings of KnowTheChain’s 2025 ICT benchmark demonstrate that companies still have significant ground to cover.
We analysed the 45 largest global ICT companies. Key findings include:
- The average ICT company scored just 20/100 on efforts to address supply chain forced labour
- Only 3 companies scored above 50: Samsung (61/100), Hewlett Packard Enterprise (53/100) and Cisco (51/100)
- Purchasing Practices and Enabling Workers’ Rights were the lowest-scoring themes of the 2025 benchmark, with average scores of just 5/100
- All companies scored zero on their responses to addressing allegations of forced labour
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Investors have a critical role to play in using their leverage to ensure portfolio companies in the ICT sector adopt a risk-based approach to human rights due diligence and prioritise rightsholder engagement in line with international standards and domestic regulation to ensure safer, more equitable supply chains for some of the world’s most vulnerable workers.
This briefing provides new insights for investors on how forced labour, and a failure of good governance within the sector, can create company, portfolio, and systemic level risks for investors concerned about long term value creation.
More resources
Deep dive: Supply chain traceability and transparency
With an average score of 33/100, ICT companies have a long way to go on supply chain traceability and transparency. This deep dive analyses key examples of company practice and recommendations to improve.
Deep dive: Purchasing practices
Purchasing practices was an area of critical weakness for ICT companies in the 2025 KnowTheChain benchmark, with an average score of just 5/100 and 84% of companies scoring zero. This deep dive explores how poor purchasing practices are driving systemic labour rights issues in the sector.
Explore the benchmark
Take a closer look at company scores and explore all our resources from KnowTheChain