Internet ‘code of conduct’ to protect Internet freedoms

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Saturday, 20 January 2007 22:19

Your IT - Home IT

The Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) has joined forces with a diverse range of companies and organizations to define online privacy rights and freedom of expression.

According to the CDT, they have joined together “a diverse group of companies, academics, investors, technology leaders and human rights organizations to seek solutions to the free expression and privacy challenges faced by technology and communications companies doing business internationally”.

The efforts, which began in 2006, have now moved forward, and “aim to produce a set of principles guiding company behavior when faced with laws, regulations and policies that interfere with the achievement of human rights”.

Likely due to revelations that Yahoo, Google and Microsoft had to deal with Chinese Government requests for information on their users, the CDT sprung into action to defend human rights online.

The CDT claim that “last year, Google, Microsoft, Vodafone and Yahoo!, with the facilitation of Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) and advice from the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School, initiated a series of dialogues to gain a fuller understanding of free expression and privacy as they relate to the use of technology worldwide”.

The CDT also say that at the same time, they were also convening technology leaders, investors and human rights advocates to discuss how to advance civil liberties on the Internet in the face of laws that run contrary to international standards for human rights.

CDT Executive Director Leslie Harris said that: “Technology companies have played a vital role building the economy and providing tools important for democratic reform in developing countries. But many governments have found ways to turn technology against their citizens -- monitoring legitimate online activities and censoring democratic material.”

Harris continued: “It is vital that we identify solutions that preserve the enormous democratic value provided by technological development, while at the same time protecting the human rights and civil liberties of those who stand to benefit from that expansion.”

BSR CEO Aron Cramer said that “Thanks to the extraordinary commitment of the companies and other participants in this process we've already learned a great deal about the obstacles we face and the ways business and other stakeholders can join forces to address those challenges.”

Cramer continued that: “This important dialogue reflects a shared commitment to maximize the information available via the internet on the basis of global principles protecting free expression and privacy. This dialogue could prove a key step in unlocking the communications potential of the internet.”

The process is due to be completed this year. Companies involved include Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Microsoft, Vodafone, Reporters Without Borders, various human rights groups, venture capitalists and academic organizations and a UN special representative, among others.