Governance
Dozens of Tech Companies Sign ‘Tech for Good Call’ Following French Initiative By Romain Dillet
Charles Platiau / AFP / Getty Images
A COUPLE OF YEARS ago, French President Emmanuel Macron initiated the Tech for Good Summit by inviting 50 tech CEOs to discuss the challenges in the tech industry and make some announcements. Usually, tech CEOs meet ahead of Viva Technology (https://vivatechnology.com), a tech event in Paris. This year, Viva Technology had to be canceled, which means that tech CEOs couldn’t get together, take a group photo and say that they want to make the world a better place. In the meantime, dozens of tech CEOs have chosen to sign a common pledge. Despite the positive impact of some technological breakthroughs, they collectively recognize that everything is not perfect with the tech industry. “Recognizing that such progress may be hindered by negative externalities, including unfair 48
January-February 2021
competition such as abuse of dominant or systemic position, and fragmentation of the internet; that, without appropriate safeguards, technology can also be used to threaten fundamental freedoms and human rights or weaken democracy; that, unless we implement appropriate measures to combat it, some individuals and organizations inevitably use it for criminal purposes, including in the context of conflicts,” the pledge says. Among other things, companies that sign the pledge agree to cooperate when it comes to fighting toxic content, such as child sexual abuse material and terrorist content. They promise to “responsibly address hate speech, disinformation and opinion manipulation.” Interestingly, they also agree that they should “contribute fairly to the taxes in countries where [they] operate.” This has been an ongoing DAWN
www.africabusinessassociation.org
