Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

The Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) sector has a vital role to play in realizing human rights and in achieving the vision laid out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including by facilitating mobile banking and remote learning and enabling greater citizen participation, freedom of expression, and coordination of democratic movements through social media platforms. Yet, ICT companies can cause, contribute to or be directly linked to adverse impacts on workers, users, customers, or other individuals through business activities and business relationships.

Human rights issues in the ICT sector include digital rights, security and conflict, discrimination, and range of supply chain impacts, including child labor and forced labor, among other issues. 

While some companies have started embracing their responsibility to respect human rights in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, including by joining multi-stakeholder initiatives like the Global Network Initiative (GNI), most are at an early stage of adopting and implementing human rights policies and processes, and few disclose information on these efforts. 

Our corporate engagements encourage ICT companies to adopt and implement human rights policies and processes that respect human rights, including mechanisms that enable remedy for victims of abuses. We also engage governments and other standard-setting bodies to help ensure that these entities create enabling environments for responsible business conduct.

Engagement activities include:

• Investor letters and statements;

• Company dialogues on human rights policies and due diligence processes;

• Filing shareholder proposals;

• Developing  business and human rights company profiles and risk briefings;

• Engaging governments and international organizations to strengthen legislation, regulation, policies, and other relevant standards aimed at promoting corporate respect for human rights; and

• Convening and participating in multi-stakeholder discussions.

A selection of Investor Alliance actions and resources:

• Human Rights Engagement Guidance for the ICT Sector. The guidance is comprised of salient issue briefings on a range of topics to help inform investor engagements with ICT companies. 

• Investor Statement on Corporate Accountability for Digital Rights. The statement was delivered to all companies ranked in the 2018 Ranking Digital Rights Corporate Accountability Index. 

• Investor Alliance Submission to United Nations B-Tech Project 

• Webinar: Ranking Digital Rights 2019 Findings with Rebecca MacKinnon of Ranking Digital Rights. 

• Webinar: Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights Due Diligence  with Dustan-Allison Hope of BSR. 

Other resources:

• 2019 Corporate Human Rights Benchmark findings on ICT manufacturing companies. 

• Ranking Digital Rights 2019 Corporate Accountability Index on disclosed policies and due diligence processes relating to freedom of expression and privacy.

• Know The Chain 2018 Benchmark Report on forced labor risks within global ICT supply chains.

To become involved in the Investor Alliance efforts on ICT or to learn more, contact Anita Dorett at adorett@iccr.org.