Benetech Leaders’ Op-Ed on Human Rights and the Duty to Protect Sensitive Data

As hundreds of technologists, businesses, governments, and human rights defenders assemble in San Francisco for the RightsCon technology and human rights conference, our CEO, Jim Fruchterman, and VP of Human Rights, Enrique Piracés, have co-authored a Huffington Post op-ed on human rights and the duty to protect sensitive data. They argue that the “Do No Harm” principle requires social justice advocates to use encryption and other strong security practices.

“In the light of the state surveillance leaks and the increasing use of technology to extensively document vulnerable people,” Jim and Enrique write, “we strongly urge all organizations working in the fields of social justice, human rights, humanitarian aid, and journalism to commit to protecting this information with the same level of safeguards that citizens of wealthy countries expect for their own sensitive information. We all have a duty to avoid doing harm, and a duty to protect the most vulnerable communities.”

You can read the complete op-ed, “Human Rights and the Duty to Protect Sensitive Data,” on the Huffington Post Blog.

Follow the conversation on Twitter at @benetech #rightscon.