Ranking Digital Rights advances corporate accountability for human rights in the digital age, focusing on the policies of telecommunications companies regarding users' fundamental rights.

Ranking Digital Rights

Ranking Digital Rights | 1,416 followers on LinkedIn. Advancing corporate accountability for human rights in the digital age | We rank the world&#39;s most powerful tech companies on their disclosed commitments and policies affecting freedom of expression and privacy in the annual RDR Corporate Accountability Index. We then take our data and findings and transform them into actionable recommendations for companies, policymakers, and investors.

Olivia Solis

PhD candidate at University of Michigan; digital media, industry, and tech researcher

Rae Moors

🌐 In 2023, two of the three major players in Albania’s telecom landscape were acquired by Hungary’s 4iG, which has close ties to the Orbán government. Using the RDR methodology, our friends at the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) evaluated Albania’s resulting telco landscape, consisting of what became ONE Albania, as well as Vodafone Albania. What they found were persistent, worrisome transparency gaps. 🔍The context here is important: As our former colleague Veszna Wessenauer previously noted in Slate Magazine , Hungary’s Orbán has been trying to consolidate control over Hungary’s telecom sector. In her 2022 piece, she expressed concern over 4iG and the Hungarian state’s joint acquisition of Vodafone Hungary. Meanwhile, 4iG has been vying to exert greater control in the Balkans as well. In fact, its CEO has stated that his company sees significant growth potential there and intends to increase its presence in the region. 👉 To find out more, read Leandro Ucciferri ’s full blog here: https://shorturl.at/zS0B6

📢RDR (from our new home at the World Benchmarking Alliance ) will be co-hosting a not-to-miss session at UNDP B+HR ’s 2024 #UNRBHR Forum in Bangkok alongside our co-hosts Legal Initiatives for Vietnam , ARTICLE 19 , and Human Rights in China 中国人权 . 🗓 Thursday, 26 September 2024 🕐 14.30-15.30 ICT 🌐RDR, under the Engaging Tech for Internet Freedom Initiative run by Article 19, has been hard at work on CLARITI (Community Assessment of the Rights Impacts in the Tech Industry). This new methodology, now in its testing phases, will allow civil society and communities to conduct their own human rights impact assessments of the tech sector and hold tech companies accountable - especially in challenging or repressive regulatory regimes. Why is this important? ⚡According to WBA's CHRB - Corporate Human Rights Benchmark , a significant gap exists in the implementation of HRIAs among tech companies in Asia. ⚡Less than 20% of these companies have conducted comprehensive HRIAs, and only around 10% have made these assessments public. ⚡Nearly 70% of civil society organizations in the region report lacking the resources and expertise needed to independently conduct HRIAs. To learn more and register: https://lnkd.in/emijiNgm

Today we are delighted to announce our transition to the World Benchmarking Alliance . Building on RDR’s decade of work at New America , the transition marks a new chapter in RDR’s journey. It will allow us to hold tech companies accountable in novel ways and escalate our support for communities around the world working to shine a light on the tech industry. It’s also a new chapter for WBA as it explores the best and most inclusive ways to assess 2,000 companies on a range of systemic transformations that are critical to achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals ( #SDGs ). Three reasons why we’re joining forces with WBA: 🌍 Building a broad movement to propel corporate accountability. WBA’s mission and methods are strongly aligned with RDR’s. WBA benchmarks 2,000 of the world’s most powerful companies on their efforts to advance the SDGs. Safeguarding human rights should be at the heart of these efforts, which WBA’s social transformation framework already establishes. RDR joins WBA with the ambition to reinforce this on the front lines of the tech space. 💡 New cross-cutting insights where #DigitalRights meet other critical topics. WBA is home to more than a dozen benchmarks covering issues that are vital to our collective future, from #DigitalInclusion and gender equality to cutting carbon emissions and building sustainable cities. Together we will explore the links between the RDR Index and the rich findings of those benchmarks to unearth deeper and more holistic insights about companies’ performance. 🔄 Strengthening global collaboration. At WBA, RDR will continue to support CSOs adapting its standards to hold companies accountable—locally, regionally and among marginalized communities. We will support similar efforts within WBA while bolstering coordination between the collective campaigns we’ve each helped shape. Last year, RDR celebrated 10 years of setting a gold standard for privacy and freedom of expression in the tech and telecom sectors. This decade of accomplishments would not have been possible without the support of New America , which incubated RDR and helped the program flourish and grow. Our transition to WBA serves as an important new bridge between New America and WBA, as both organizations look forward to partnering on initiatives that advance a shared vision for our digital future. Want to help write our new chapter and build a stronger corporate accountability movement? Get in touch with us! Read more in our joint statement with New America and WBA: https://lnkd.in/eE-PmrJN #digitalinclusion #digitalrights

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Ranking Digital Rights