Surveillance Capitalism

NGO Seeks Pressure on Companies to Deliver SDGs

May 08, 2018

An article from Christen Dobson and Phil Bloomer of the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre calls for a combination of government regulation, civil society scrutiny, and voluntary business action in spurring private-sector contributions to help fulfill the UN's comprehensive Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
WEF Group Pushes for Tech Action on "Harmful Content"

May 08, 2018

The World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Future Council on Human Rights has published a report outlining the group's call for internet companies to take on a more active role in confronting growing threats on their platforms from "harmful content," including "terrorist incitement" and "politically motivated disinformation."
NGOs Seek Mandatory "Due Diligence" in Luxembourg

May 07, 2018

A group of nongovernmental organizations in Luxembourg has called on lawmakers in the country to create a "due diligence" law that would require multinational companies based in Luxembourg to review and address the impacts of their operations, their subsidiaries, and their supply chains on human rights and the environment anywhere in the world.
UN Event Calls for Gender Equality in Sports Programming

April 26, 2018

UN bodies, the International Olympic Committee, and businesses recently partnered on an event reviewing the impacts of media portrayals of female athletes on their participation in sports, with participants identifying a duty of broadcasters and advertisers to promote women's equality in sports programming.
UN-Backed Study Promotes Business Action on SDGs

April 23, 2018

The UN Global Compact and consulting firm Accenture Strategy have released a study signaling the unanimous support among UN officials for promoting public-private partnerships that would place pressure on businesses to help the international organization fulfill its comprehensive Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Coca-Cola, US Use Blockchain for Labor Scrutiny

April 23, 2018

Reuters reports that the Coca-Cola Company, the US State Department, and two other companies, responding to pressure from human rights activist organizations, are launching a project through which businesses will use blockchain digital technology to determine and respond to risks of forced labor in complex, global supply chains around the world.
Nestlé Plastic Reduction Plans Fall Flat with Greenpeace

April 20, 2018

Greenpeace called Nestlé's statement on their efforts to reduce single-use plastics "greenwashing baby steps" because the statement lacks clear targets or a timeline and largely puts the responsibility for cleaning up the plastics on the consumer rather than the company.
Berlin Summit Seeks Rights-Focused Corporate Governance

April 20, 2018

Joanna Radeke and Tammi Coles examine how business and nongovernmental organization representatives at a recent summit in Berlin identified as a "significant corporate blind spot" the idea among business leaders that they do not have responsibility, beyond legal obligations, for human rights violations in their complex, transnational supply chains.
Companies Join Pledge Against Cyber Attacks

April 18, 2018

Reuters reports that 34 technology companies, including Microsoft and Facebook, have signed a Cybersecurity Tech Accord pledging not to assist governments with "offensive" cyber attacks "regardless of geopolitical or criminal motive."
Norway Wealth Fund Pushes for Rights, Climate Reforms

April 17, 2018

An article by Sveinung Sleire outlines how Norway's $1 trillion wealth fund is targeting companies in which it invests across the globe with financial pressure to motivate reforms on environmental and human rights issues, including the ethical use of artificial intelligence technologies.