Blog

While new technologies can play a critical role in defending human rights, they can also create unforeseen risks for human rights groups and activists. On October 30, 2014, Benetech Vice President of Human Rights Enrique Piracés joined fellow panelists Iain Levine, Deputy Executive Director at Human Rights Watch, Sam Gregory, Program Director at WITNESS, and Andrew Rasiej, Founder of Personal Democracy Media and the Personal Democracy Forum, in a discussion of key issues at the intersection of human rights and technology. You can watch the complete webcast on Livestream.

Benetech’s work is made possible thanks to the generosity of our supporters. To continue to provide our services, and to explore new ways in which targeted technological applications could address unmet needs of disadvantaged communities, we definitely need your help. Please join us in the Skoll Foundation’s second annual Skoll Social Entrepreneurs Challenge—a fundraising campaign committed to strengthening the capacity of organizations like ours to accelerate impact on some of the most critical issues of our time. The Challenge launched on October 27 and runs through December 5th.

Collection and archival of sensitive information are core to humanitarian and social justice practices, but all too often security and privacy protections are neglected in such efforts. Benetech CEO Jim Fruchterman sat down with WBEZ Chicago’s Worldview guest host Alexandra Salomon for a conversation about the power of open source technology in strengthening privacy and human rights, and about Benetech’s social impact work.

We are thrilled to share that the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has recognized Benetech with the 2014 Region 6 Directors Special Award, Outstanding Small Company of the Year, for Innovative Contributions to Humanitarian Technology. Benetech won the award for its continued commitment to community improvement through literacy, environmental, and human rights initiatives.

Nonprofit technology company Benetech today announced that it has appointed seasoned executive Mark Roberts as its Vice President of Engineering. Roberts, former Senior Vice President of Engineering, Consumer Products, and Operations at TiVo Inc., will lead the development, testing, and deployment of Benetech’s tools and services across all its program areas.