Ranking - And Improving - Digital Rights

Over the past three years, the Ranking Digital Rights project has developed a framework to evaluate technology companies on their disclosed commitments, policies, practices related to freedom of expression, and privacy. In our inaugural Corporate Accountability Index, which examines 16 of the world’s largest Internet and telecommunications companies, we found no winners when it comes to corporate commitments to respect users’ freedom of expression and privacy. Among Internet companies, Google scored highest with 65 percent while the UK-based Vodafone scored highest among telecommunications companies with 54 percent.

Overall, only six companies scored at least 50 percent, and nearly half of the companies scored below 25 percent, displaying a serious deficit of respect for users’ rights. RDR aims for the index to be an annual ranking that spurs companies to improve their policies and practices, and that enables the public to document change over time. By providing metrics to measure company disclosures related to digital rights, the index is one step toward fostering an ecosystem of corporate accountability in the technology industry, something many organizations are addressing. While having industry standards is not a panacea—consider that in some cases technology companies face legal barriers to disclosing information related to freedom of expression and privacy concerns—it remains an integral component in ensuring that technology progresses in alignment with society’s best interests.