Silicon Valley Human Rights Conference October 25-26, 2011 | Mission Bay Conference Center | San Francisco Preparing tech companies for 21st century challenges Part of the Global Technology and Human Rights Summit Series   What? A conference examining and exploring how the high-tech industry can better plan for and manage the human rights implications of their technologies. It is an... [read more]

Silicon Valley Human Rights Conference October 25-26, 2011 | Mission Bay Conference Center | San Francisco Preparing tech companies for 21st century challenges Part of the Global Technology and Human Rights Summit Series   What? A conference examining and exploring how the high-tech industry can better plan for and manage the human rights implications of their technologies. It is an outcome-oriented event, centered on private roundtables and public sessions, that will bring  information and communications technology (ICT) entrepreneurs, executives, and engineers together with policy analysts, human rights specialists and technologists. The conference is sponsored by Google, Facebook, Yahoo, Skype and Mozilla, amongst others, and held with partners from the civil society sector. Why? The growing impact of the ICT industry on society is undeniable, often outpacing the policies and norms that help companies traverse what is often very difficult territory. Companies and civil society are constantly dealing with privacy issues at home, security issues abroad (particularly during moments of political instability), and ethical issues that impact profits, brand equity, and shareholder value. We’ve seen the exciting role communication technologies companies and social media platforms played in enabling people to challenge and topple authoritarian regimes in the Middle East and North Africa. We’ve also seen the explosion of online activity and social networking here in the US and in markets across Europe, Asia and Africa. It’s time to celebrate the power of technology as a force for good!Yet while the communication technologies have undoubtedly had a net positive impact on our global community, it has also, for example, enabled certain governments in their efforts to quash personal freedoms and disrupt social movements striving for reform. It is not the first time that technology has been used effectively and simultaneously for participation and exclusion, for revolution and repression, but the dramatic events unfolding in the Middle East and beyond have raised many questions about the rights and responsibilities of the technology sector globally and the relationship between corporations, governments and end-users