!
!
!
Submission!to!UN!Special!Rapporteur!for!
Freedom!of!Expression!and!Opinion!David!
Kaye:!Content!Regulation!in!the!Digital!Age!
!
Ranking!Digital!Rights!
!
December!15,!2017!
!
by!
!
Ilana!Ullman,!Policy!and!Communications!Analyst!
Laura!Reed,!Senior!Research!Analyst!and!Coordinator!
Rebecca!MacKinnon,!Director!
Table!of!Contents!
Executive!Summary! 2!
About!Ranking!Digital!Rights! 3!
Introduction! 4!
1.!Transparency! 6!
2.!Impact!assessment! 12!
3.!Grievance!and!Remedy! 15!
Conclusion! 18!
Recommendations! 19!
Appendix:!Full!text!of!relevant!2017!Corporate!Accountability!Index!indicators! 21!
!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! !!!! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2
Executive!Summary!
Internet!platforms!around!the!world!are!under!increasing!pressure!from!governments!and!
many!other!stakeholders!to!remove!objectionable!content.!From!misinformation!to!hate!
speech!to!extremist!content!to!harassment!and!abuse,!these!platforms!have!become!
gatekeepers!of!what!information!the!public!can!access!and!share.!Yet,!despite!the!important!
role!they!play!in!mediating!public!discourse,!and!despite!progress!by!some!companies!in!recent!
years!in!disclosing!policies!and!actions!related!to!government!requests,!the!process!of!policing!
content!on!internet!platforms!remains!unacceptably!opaque.!As!a!result,!users!of!internet!
platforms!cannot!adequately!understand!how!their!online!information!environment!is!being!
governed!and!shaped,!by!whom,!under!what!authorities,!for!what!reason.!When!transparency!
around!the!policing!of!online!speech!is!inadequate,!people!do!not!know!who!to!hold!
accountable!when!infringements!of!their!expression!rights!occur.!This!situation!is!exacerbated!
by!the!fact!that!some!of!the!world’s!most!powerful!internet!platforms!do!not!conduct!
systematic!impact!assessments!of!how!their!terms!of!service!policies!and!enforcement!
mechanisms!affect!users’!rights.!Furthermore,!grievance!and!remedy!mechanisms!for!users!to!
report!and!obtain!redress!when!their!expression!rights!are!infringed!are!woefully!inadequate.!!
!
In!this!submission!to!the!UN!Special!Rapporteur!on!Freedom!on!Expression!and!Opinion!David!
Kaye!for!his!upcoming!report!on!content!regulation!in!the!digital!age,!Ranking!Digital!Rights!
proposes!the!following!recommendations!for!companies!and!governments:!!
!
1. Increase!transparency!of!how!laws!governing!online!conte nt!are!enforced!via!internet!
intermediaries!and!how!decisions!to!restrict!content!are!being!made!and!carried!out.!
Companies!should!disclose!policies!for!decision!making!around!content!restriction,!
whether!restriction!is!requested!by!governments,!private!actors,!or!carried!out!at!the!
company’s!own!initiative!to!enforce!its!terms!of!service.!They!should!also!disclose!data!
on!the!volume!and!nature!of!content!being!restricted!or!removed!for!the!full!range!of!
reasons!that!result!in!restriction.!Governments!must!encourage!if!not!require!such!
transparency!and!match!it!with!transparency!of!their!own!regarding!demands!–!direct!as!
well!as!indirect!–!that!they!place!upon!companies!to!restrict!content.#
!
2. Broaden!impact!assessment!and!human!rights!due!diligenc e!in!relation!to!the!
regulation!and!private!policing!of!content.!Companies!must!conduct!human!rights!
impact!assessments!that!examine!policies!and!mechanisms!for!identifying!and!
restricting!content,!including!terms!of!service!enforcement!and!private!flagging!
mechanisms.!They!must!disclose!how!such!assessments!are!used!identify!and!mitigate!
any!negative!impact!on!freedom!of!expression!that!may!be!caused!by!these!policies!and!
mechanisms.!Governments!should!also!assess!existing!and!proposed!laws!regulating!
!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! !!!! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 3
content!on!internet!platforms!to!ensure!that!they!do!not!result!in!increased!
infringement!of!users’!freedom!of!expression!rights.#
!
3. Establish!and!support!effective!grievance!and!remedy!mechanisms!to!addre ss!
infringements!of!internet!users’!freedom!of!expression!rights.!When!content!is!
erroneously!removed!or!a!law!or!policy!is!misinterpreted!in!a!manner!that!results!in!the!
censorship!of!speech!that!should!be!protected!under!international!human!rights!law,!
effective!grievance!and!remedy!mechanisms!are!essential!to!mitigating!harm.!Adequate!
mechanisms!are!presently!lacking!on!the!world’s!largest!and!most!powerful!internet!
platforms.!Governments!seeking!increased!policing!of!extremist!and!violent!content!by!
platforms!should!not!only!support!but!participate!in!the!development!of!effective!
grievance!and!remedy!mechanisms.#
!
About!Ranking!Digital!Rights!
Ranking!Digital!Rights!(RDR)!is!a!non-profit!research!initiative!housed!at!New!America’s!Open!
Technology!Institute,!working!with!an!international!network!of!partners!to!set!global!standards!
for!how!companies!in!the!information!and!communications!technology!(ICT)!sector!should!
respect!freedom!of!expression!and!privacy.!For!more!about!the!project!see:!
https://rankingdigitalrights.org!!
!
In!2015,!RDR!launched!its!inaugural!Corporate!Accountability!Index!which!evaluated!16!
companies!based!on!31!indicators!focused!on!corporate!disclosure!of!policies!and!practices!that!
affect!users’!freedom!of!expression!and!privacy.!In!March!2017,!Ranking!Digital!Rights!released!
the!second!edition!of!its!Corporate!Accountability!Index,!which!ranked!22!companies!according!
to!an!expanded!list!of!35!indicators.!!
The!full!Index!results,!including!the!report!and!raw!data!for!researchers!to!download!and!use,!
can!be!found!at:!https://rankingdigitalrights.org/index2017/!
!
The!2017!Corporate!Accountability!Index!evaluated!22!internet,!mobile,!and!
telecommunications!companies!on!35!indicators!assessing!companies’!public!disclosures!and!
commitments!in!three!categories:!governance,!freedom!of!expression,!and!privacy.!Of!the!22!
companies!evaluated,!ten!provide!search!and/or!social!platforms!(all!services!for!which!the!
companies!were!evaluated,!including!non-platform!services,!are!listed!below):!
!
● Baidu!(China)!!—!Baidu!Search,!Baidu!Cloud,!Baidu!PostBar
● Facebook!(US)!—!!Facebook,!Instagram,!WhatsApp,!Messenger
● Mail.Ru!(Russia)!!—!!VKontakte,!Mail.Ru!email,!Mail.Ru!Agent
!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! !!!! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 4
● Microsoft!(US)!!—!Bing,!Outlook.com,!Skype
● Kakao!(South!Korea)!!—!Daum!Search,!Daum!Mail,!KakaoTalk
● Google!(US)!—!Search,!Gmail,!YouTube,!Android!mobile!ecosystem
● Tencent!(China)!—!QZone,!QQ,!WeChat
● Twitter!(US)!—!!Twitter,!Periscope,!Vine
● Yahoo!(US)!!—!Yahoo!Mail,!Flickr,!Tumblr
● Yandex!(Russia)!—!Yandex!Mail,!Yandex!Search,!Yandex!Disk!(cloud!storage)
!
The!full!methodology,!along!with!research!guidance,!can!be!found!here:!
https://rankingdigitalrights.org/2017-indicators/!!This!submission!covers!results!from!five!
indicators!(F3-F7)!that!evaluates!corporate!transparency!about!a!range!of!company!actions!that!
affect!users’!freedom!of!expression,!plus!two!indicators!that!evaluate!different!aspects!of!
governance:!G4!evaluates!disclosure!about!impact!assessments,!and!G6!evaluates!disclosure!of!
grievance!and!remedy!mechanisms.!!
!
The!third!Corporate!Accountability!Index,!which!covers!the!same!22!companies!with!the!same!
methodology,!will!be!released!in!April!2018.!While!research!for!the!2018!Index!is!already!
underway,!it!is!far!from!final!as!of!the!December!2017!deadline!for!this!submission.!The!
information!in!this!submission!is!therefore!based!on!the!2017!Corporate!Accountability!Index,!
published!in!March!2017.!!
!
Introduction!
Companies!are!subject!to!government!regulation!and!also!self-regulate.!Self-regulation!is!
sometimes!carried!out!unilaterally!by!a!company,!and!is!sometimes!carried!out!in!conjunction!
with!other!stakeholders!with!government!support!as!an!alternative!to!direct!regulation!
(sometimes!referred!to!as!“co-regulation”).
1
!!Of!the!35!indicators!used!to!evaluate!companies!in!
the!2017!Ranking!Digital!Rights!Corporate!Accountability!Index,!ten!are!directly!relevant!to!the!
question!of!how!content!regulation!affects!freedom!of!expression!on!internet!platforms.!The!
results!of!the!2017!Index!show!that!companies!disclose!the!greatest!amount!of!information!
about!their!commitments,!policies,!and!processes!in!response!to!direct!government!demands!to!
remove!or!restrict!content!or!deactivate!user!accounts.!They!disclose!the!least!amount!of!
information!about!how!private,rules!and!mechanisms!for!self-!and!co-regulation!are!formulated!
and!carried!out.!The!results!of!RDR’s!2017!Index!also!show!that!while!many!companies!in!the!
Index!conduct!assessments!of!how!government!demands!affect!their!users’!rights,!few!
companies!appear!to!conduct!impact!assessments!to!identify!how!their!own!private!
enforcement!policies!and!practices!affect!the!freedom!of!expression!of!users!around!the!world.!
1
!See!p.!54,!http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0023/002311/231162e.pdf!!
!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! !!!! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 5
RDR’s!evaluation!also!reveals!that!grievance!and!remedy!mechanisms!offered!by!companies!to!
users!are!far!from!adequate.!!!!
!
Concerns!that!global!internet!platforms!are!censoring!speech!that!should!be!protected!under!
international!human!rights!law!in!their!efforts!to!comply!with!growing!government!regulatory!
pressures!are!reflected!in!recent!debates!and!critiques!of!Germany’s!“NetzDG”!law,!which!came!
into!force!in!October!2017.
2
!The!law!imposes!significant!fines!on!social!media!platforms!that!do!
not!remove!hate!speech!content,!which!is!illegal!under!German!law,!within!24!hours.!
Companies!that!repeatedly!fail!to!delete!this!illegal!content!in!a!timely!manner!could!face!fines!
of!up!to!€50!million.
3!
!The!full!impact!of!the!law!remains!to!be!seen,!but!is!even!more!important!
to!understand!in!the!context!of!other!governments,!such!as!France!and!the!UK!considering!new!
fines!for!social!media!sites!that!do!not!remove!extremist!content,!and!increasing!public!
pressure!in!the!U.S.!to!clamp!down!on!white!supremacist!content.
4
!Hasty!and!blunt!application!
of!enforcement!mechanisms!being!used!in!response!to!such!laws!has!resulted!in!restriction!of!
protected!speech.!One!well-known!example!is!the!recent!deletion!of!Syrian!opposition!videos!
on!Youtube.
5
!Such!cases!highlight!why!greater!transparency,!impact!assessment!and!remedy!
are!vital!as!governments!and!companies!struggle!with!the!question!of!how!to!protect!the!public!
and!users!from!hate!speech!and!extremist!attacks!without!violating!internet!users’!expression!
rights.!!!
!
As!companies!strengthen!policies!and!beef!up!technical!mechanisms!to!police!such!content,!
lack!of!transparency!about!these!mechanisms,!or!about!the!volume!and!nature!of!content!
being!removed!by!them,!makes!it!impossible!for!stakeholders!to!know!whether!these!policies!
and!mechanisms!are!achieving!their!intended!purposes.!Lack!of!impact!assessment!means!that!
companies!may!not!themselves!have!a!clear!understanding!about!the!potential!collateral!
damage!their!policies!and!mechanisms!may!inflict!and!how!to!mitigate!negative!impacts!on!
users’!freedom!of!expression.!Lack!of!adequate!grievance!and!remedy!mechanisms!means!that!
when!activists!or!journalists!or!others!exercising!their!free!expression!rights!are!silenced!by!a!
platform!using!mechanisms!intended!to!silence!hate!speech!and!extremism,!they!do!not!have!
reliable!recourse!to!a!process!for!having!their!case!reconsidered!and!content!reinstated.
6
!
!
2
!https://edri.org/eu-action-needed-german-netzdg-draft-threatens-freedomofexpressio n /!!
3
https://qz.com/1090825/germanys-new-social-media-law-analysis-facebook-tw itter-youtube-to-remove-hate-
speech-in-24-hours-or-fa ce-fines/!!
4
https://www.theverge.com/2017/6/13/15790034/france-uk-social-media-fine-terrorism-may-macron!and!
http://thehill.com/policy/technology/347173-tech-comp anies- crack-down-on-hate-speech-after-charlottesville!!
5
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/22/world/middleeast/syria-youtube-videos-isis.h tm l !!
6
!https://theintercept.com/2017/11/02/war-crimes-youtube-facebo o k-sy ria-roh in gya /!!
!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! !!!! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 6
1.!Transparency!
Findings!from!RDR’s!2017!Index!highlight!specific!areas!of!weakness!as!well!as!some!emerging!
practices.!Eight!indicators!in!the!Index!evaluate!company!disclosures!about!their!policies!and!
mechanisms!related!to!government!requests!and!legal!compliance!as!well!as!the!enforcement!
of!private!rules,!set!by!the!company,!about!what!types!of!speech!and!activity!are!permissible.
7
!
The!2017!Index!results!spotlight!key!areas!in!which!internet!platforms!can!improve!
transparency!about!their!content!moderation!policies!and!practices.!We!found!that!companies!
overall!lack!transparency!about!their!policies!affecting!users’!freedom!of!expression—and!in!
particular!about!what!types!of!content!are!prohibited!and!what!their!process!is!for!enforcing!
these!rules.!Companies!also!tended!to!disclose!more!information!about!requests!they!receive!
from!governments!and!private!parties!to!restrict!or!delete!content!or!deactivate!accounts!than!
about!actions!companies!themselves!took!to!enforce!terms!of!service.!Companies!also!lacked!
disclosure!of!whether!they!notify!users!when!they!restrict!content!or!accounts.!
!
1.1#Transparency#about#company#actions#that#affect#freedom#of#expression#lags#behind#
transparency#about#actions#that#affect#privacy.##Transparency!reports!are!one!way!for!
companies!to!regularly!publish!data!about!third!party!requests!they!receive!and!comply!with,!
for!both!content!removals!and!user!information,!and!are!increasingly!a!common!practice.
8
!
Although!more!companies!have!begun!issuing!transparency!reports,!companies!tend!to!report!
more!information!about!requests!they!receive!to!share!user!data!(affecting!privacy)!than!they!
do!for!actions!that!affect!freedom!of!expression,!such!as!content!restriction!and!removal!or!
account!deactivation.!!
!
Figure!1!on!the!next!page!compares!company!scores!on!transparency!reporting!about!requests!
that!they!receive!to!share!user!information!(dark!blue)
9
!versus!transparency!reporting!about!
requests!they!receive!to!restrict!or!remove!content,!or!deactivate!accounts!(light!blue)
10
.!!
!
!
7
#See!F1-F8!at!https://rankingdigitalrights.org/2017-indicators/#F !!
8
https://www.newamerica.org/in-depth/getting-internet-companies-do-righ t-thing/case-study -3-transparen cy-
reporting/!
9
See!https://rankingdigitalrights.org/index2017/indicators/#P11!
10
!See!https://rankingdigitalrights.org/index2017/in d ica to rs/ #F 6 !and !
https://rankingdigitalrights.org/index2017/indicators/#F7!!
!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! !!!! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 7
!
1.2!Companies!vary!widely!in!their!disclosures!about!government!requests!versus!disclosur e s!
about!requests!from!private!parties,!including!requests!related!to!terms!of !se rvice!violations.!
All!platform!companies!have!room!to!improve!their!transparency!about!requests!affecting!
freedom!of!expression,!and!should!be!just!as!transparent!about!government!requests!to!
remove!content!as!they!are!with!private!ones!(and!vice!versa).!Currently,!users!are!left!with!an!
incomplete!picture!of!the!scope!and!potential!impact!that!government!and!private!requests!
may!have!on!their!speech.!!
!
Note!that!RDR!defines!“government!requests”!for!content!removals!as!requests!originating!
from!government!ministries!or!agencies,!law!enforcement,!or!court!orders!in!criminal!and!civil!
cases.!RDR!defines!“private!requests”!as!those!made!by!any!person!or!entity!not!acting!under!
direct!governmental!or!court!authority.!Examples!of!private!requests!include!requests!from!a!
self-regulatory!body!such!as!the!UK’s!Internet!Watch!Foundation,!or!a!notice-and-takedown!
system,!such!as!the!U.S.!Digital!Millennium!Copyright!Act.!!
!
!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! !!!! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 8
Figure!2!below!compares!company!scores!on!data!disclosed!about!government!requests!(F6)
11
!
with!their!scores!on!data!disclosed!about!private!requests!(F7).
12!
!
Disclosure!about!private!requests!for!content!restriction!is!also!important!for!monitoring!the!
full!impact!of!government!requests!for!content!restriction,!given!that!governments!often!
11
!See!https://rankingdigitalrights.org/index2017/indicators/#F6!!
12
!See!https://rankingdigitalrights.org/index2017/indicators/#F7
!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! !!!! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 9
delegate!take-down!requests!and!the!reporting!of!terms-of-service!violations!to!private!parties.!
For!example,!there!have!been!documented!cases!of!copyright!enforcement!mechanisms!being!
abused!by!governments,!such!as!Ecuador!President!Rafael!Correa,!who!used!millions!of!dollars!
of!public!funds!to!hire!a!foreign!company!to!help!delete!information!critical!of!him!from!sites!
including!YouTube,!Facebook,!Vimeo,!and!Dailymotion.
13
!
!
Of!particular!note!is!Facebook’s!minimal!disclosure!of!data!related!to!any!type!of!private!
requests!for!content!restriction!(F7).!Its!score!on!this!indicator,!6%!out!of!a!possible!100%,!
reflected!the!least!amount!of!disclosure!in!comparison!with!its!peers,!except!for!three!
companies!headquartered!in!much!more!repressive!speech!environments!(China!and!Russia).!!!
!
Figure!3!below!compares!Facebook’s!relatively!strong!performance!in!disclosing!data!about!
government!requests!for!user!data,!in!contrast!to!its!poor!performance!in!disclosing!company!
actions!that!affect!users’!freedom!of!expression.!
!
All!platform!companies!have!room!to!improve!their!transparency!about!requests!they!receive!
and!how!those!requests!are!handled.!They!should!be!just!as!transparent!about!government!
requests!to!remove!content!as!they!are!with!private!ones!(and!vice!versa).!Currently,!users!are!
left!with!an!incomplete!picture!of!the!scope!and!potential!impact!that!government!and!private!
13
https://www.buzzfeed.com/jamesball/ecuadors-president-used-millions-of-dollars-of-public-funds!!
!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! !!!! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 10
requests!to!remove!content!may!have!on!their!speech,!and!more!broadly!on!the!global!flow!of!
information!online.!!
!
1.3!Companies#disclose#more#information#about#processes#than#data#about#the#volume#and#
nature#of#restrictions#and#removals.,There!continues!to!be!a!gap!in!what!companies!disclose!
about!their!role!in!censoring!online!content,!with!companies!disclosing!more!about!their!
processes!for!responding!to!government!and!private!requests!to!restrict!content!and!accounts!
than!they!do!about!the!number!of!requests!they!receive!and!with!which!they!comply.!This!
makes!it!unclear!how!these!processes!are!applied!in!practice,!and!difficult!to!determine!the!
scope!and!potential!impact!of!these!content!restrictions!on!freedom!of!expression.!In!light!of!
the!recent!increase!in!government!pressure!to!remove!extremist,!hate!speech,!and!other!
objectionable!categories!of!content,!it!is!particularly!important!that!companies!publish!data!on!
the!content!restriction!requests!they!receive!and!comply!with,!so!that!advocates!and!the!public!
can!determine!if!content!removal!requests!are!on!the!rise,!and!whether!or!not!the!company!is!
pushing!back!against!them.!!
!
In!addition,!when!governments!boast!of!increased!cooperation!with!platform!companies,!this!
data!may!also!offer!some!insight!to!help!determine!whether!these!claims!have!merit,!or!are!
merely!more!rhetoric.!For!example,!in!April!2017,!the!Vietnamese!government!reported!it!had!
reached!an!agreement!with!Facebook!for!it!to!censor!content!that!violates!local!laws!or!posts!
with!“fake!content”!about!government!officials.
14
!Vietnamese!officials!claimed!that!Facebook!
had!agreed!to!set!up!a!direct!channel!of!communication!with!the!government!to!facilitate!these!
requests,!although!Facebook!stated!that!its!process!for!receiving!and!responding!to!
government!requests!is!consistent!across!jurisdictions.
15
!!
!
Notably,!in!its!Government!Requests!Report,!Facebook!discloses!only!the!number!of!pieces!of!
content!it!restricted!due!to!government!requests,!per!country.
16
!It!does!not!disclose!the!
number!of!requests!it!received,!making!it!impossible!to!tell!to!what!degree!the!company!is!
complying!with,!or!perhaps!pushing!back!against,!government!requests!it!receives!to!censor!
content!on!its!platform.!!
!
This!gap!between!disclosure!of!content!policies!and!how!they!are!enforced!in!practice!is!
particularly!noticeable!in!the!case!of!terms!of!service!enforcement,!for!which!the!difference!in!
company!performance!among!the!two!indicators!is!particularly!pronounced.!!
14
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-vietnam /vietnam-says-facebo ok-commits-to-preventing-
offensive-content-idUSKBN1 7T 0 A 0!!
15
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-vietnam /vietnam-says-facebo ok-commits-to-preventing-
offensive-content-idUSKBN 17 T 0 A 0!!
16
https://govtrequests.facebook.com/!!
!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! !!!! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 11
As!Figure!4!below!illustrates,!while!all!companies!disclose!information!about!processes,!only!
three!companies!were!found!to!have!disclosed!any!data!about!the!volume!and!nature!of!
content!they!removed!at!their!own!initiative!when!enforcing!their!terms!of!service:!!
Of!the!three!companies—Google,!Microsoft,!and!Twitter—that!disclosed!any!data!about!
content!they!restricted!as!a!result!of!enforcing!their!terms!of!service,
17
!disclosure!was!limited!to!
specific!areas:!
!
● In!a!February!2016!blog!post,!Twitter!disclosed!that!"Since!the!middle!of!2015!alone,!
we’ve!suspended!over!125,000!accounts!for!threatening!or!promoting!terrorist!acts,"
18
!
and!in!a!follow-up!post!six!months!later!it!announced!that!"we!have!suspended!an!
additional!235,000!accounts."
19
!In!March!2017!(after!the!cutoff!date!for!information!
evaluated!in!the!2017!Index)!Twitter!began!including!terms!of!service-related!
takedowns!in!its!transparency!reports!for!requests!that!originated!from!governments!
17
See!https://rankingdigitalrights.org/index2017/indicators/#F4!!
18
https://blog.twitter.com/official/en_us/a/2016/combating-violent-extremism.html!!
19
https://blog.twitter.com/official/en_us/a/2016/an-update-on-our-efforts-to-combat-violent-extremism.html!!
!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! !!!! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 12
and!concerned!extremist!content.!In!September!2017,!Twitter!expanded!this!category!to!
include!three!additional!terms!of!service!violation!categories,!such!as!abusive!behavior,!
copyright,!and!trademark.!However,!this!data!is!limited!to!requests!that!originated!from!
governments!and!does!not!include!requests!from!non-governmental!parties.!As!Twitter!
has!recently!announced!upcoming!changes!to!its!rules,
20
!specifically!those!relating!to!
abuse,!it!is!important!that!it!continue!to!publish!this!data,!and!broaden!the!scope!to!
include!non-government!requests,!to!help!users!and!advocates!evaluate!the!new!rules’!
impact.
!
● Microsoft!published!terms!of!service!enforcement!data!for!"revenge!porn"!content!(this!
content!is!illegal!in!some!jurisdictions!but!not!all),!and!the!company!specifically!states!
that!they!remove!reported!links!to!photos!and!videos!from!search!results!on!Bing!
"...when!we!are!notified!by!an!identifiable!victim"!(which!would!indicate!that!these!are!
non-government!requests).!However,!it!did!not!publish!data!relating!to!other!types!of!
content!or!activities!in!the!company's!terms!of!service.
!
● In!a!September!2016!blog!post,
21
!YouTube!disclosed!that!it!had!removed!92!million!
videos!for!violating!its!terms!of!service!and!that!1%!of!the!videos!removed!were!for!hate!
speech!and!terrorist!content.!However,!it!did!not!provide!exact!numbers,!and!this!data!
is!not!reported!in!an!ongoing!manner.
!
Though!disclosure!on!this!indicator!is!incredibly!low,!it!still!marks!an!improvement!compared!to!
the!2015!Index,
22
!in!which!no!company!evaluated!disclosed!any!data!about!content!that!was!
restricted!from!enforcing!their!terms!of!service.!
!
2.!Impact!assessment!
Since!its!inception!in!2015,!the!RDR!Corporate!Accountability!Index!has!consistently!found!that!
while!some!of!the!world’s!most!powerful!internet!platforms!publicly!disclose!that!they!carry!out!
impact!assessments!on!how!compliance!with!government!laws!and!policies!may!affect!the!
freedom!of!expression!rights!of!users,!!companies!disclose!little!about!assessing!the!risks!to!
freedom!of!expression!posed!by!the!enforcement!of!their!own!policies.!
!
Significant!challenges!to!freedom!of!expression!and!privacy!can!arise!when!a!company!decides!
to!introduce!a!new!feature,!launch!a!new!service,!or!enter!a!new!market.!One!indication!that!a!
20
https://blog.twitter.com/official/en_us/topics/company/2017/safetycalendar.html!!
21
https://youtube.googleblog.com/2016/09/why-flagging - matters.html!!
22
https://rankingdigitalrights.org/index2015/!!
!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! !!!! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 13
company!is!considering!the!potential!human!rights!implications!of!its!policies!and!services!is!
whether!it!discloses!that!it!conducts!human!rights!impact!assessments!(HRIAs).!The!UN!Guiding!
Principles!on!Business!and!Human!Rights,!which!articulate!businesses’!responsibility!to!respect!
human!rights,!specifically!spells!out!companies’!obligation!to!assess!actual!and!potential!human!
rights!impacts!and!to!act!upon!the!findings.
23
!Human!rights!impact!assessments!provide!
companies!with!a!means!to!identify!areas!of!concern!in!order!to!mitigate!or!prevent!potential!
infringements!on!human!rights,!or!to!provide!remedy!for!violations!that!may!have!already!
occurred.
24
!
!
Many!of!the!issues!at!the!intersection!of!human!rights!and!technology!making!headlines!today!
can!be!traced!back!to!a!company’s!failure!to!anticipate!the!negative!implications!of!its!business!
decisions.!For!example,!a!ProPublica!investigation!of!Facebook’s!internal!content!moderation!
policies!revealed!confusing!rules!that!protected!categories!such!as!“white!men”!but!not!“black!
children.”!Another!rule,!which!the!company!said!was!no!longer!in!effect,!prohibited!content!
supporting!“violence!to!resist!occupation!of!an!internationally!recognized!state.”
25
!ProPublica!
reported!several!instances!of!journalists!and!activists!in!Palestine,!Kashmir,!Crimea,!and!
Western!Sahara,!who!had!their!content!or!accounts!restricted!as!a!result!of!this!policy.!!Such!
problems!raise!questions!about!whether!the!company!carried!out!any!sort!of!impact!
assessment!before!enacting!these!rules!and!related!enforcement!processes.!!Indeed,!
Facebook’s!score!on!Index!indicator!G4,!which!examines!company!disclosures!on!impact!
assessment,!shows!no!disclosure!about!impact!assessment!on!terms!of!service!policy!
formulation!or!enforcement.
26
!!
!
When!crafting!rules!about!what!types!of!speech!is!forbidden!from!their!platforms!and!in!what!
context,!companies!should!consult!with!external!stakeholders!and!carefully!examine!if!these!
rules!protect!those!most!likely!to!be!discriminated!against,!and!determine!the!impact!on!
freedom!of!expression!of!their!enforcement.!It!is!important!for!companies!to!carry!out!human!
rights!impact!assessments!on!a!regular!basis!and!continue!to!assess!the!potential!impact!of!
their!products!and!services!after!the!initial!rollout,!and!to!conduct!meaningful!outreach!to!
different!stakeholder!groups!in!order!to!learn!how!these!technologies!are!surfacing!varying!
challenges!for!a!range!of!user!groups.!As!noted!in!the!call!for!submissions,!the!standards!and!
processes!that!a!platform!company!uses!to!enforces!its!own!rules—such!as!those!articulated!in!
23
Principle!17,!UN!Guiding!Principles!on!Business!and!Human!Rights,!p.!17:!
http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/GuidingPrinciplesBusinessHR_EN.pdf.!!
24
UN!Guiding!Principles!on!Business!and!Human!Rights,!p.!18:!
http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/GuidingPrinciplesBusinessHR_EN.pdf.!!
25
https://www.propublica.org/article/facebook-hate-speech-censorship-internal-documents-algorithms
26
See!https://rankingdigitalrights.org/index2017/indicators/#G4!;!https://rankingdigitalrights.org/2017-
indicators /# G 4!and!!https://rankingdigitalrights.org/index2017/companies/facebook/!!
!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! !!!! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 14
terms!of!service!or!community!guidelines!policies—have!significant!implications!for!human!
rights.!Recognizing!this!risk,!companies!should!pay!close!attention!to!the!implications!of!their!
terms!of!service!enforcement!policies!when!conducting!HRIAs.!!!
!
Figure!5!below!illustrates!the!extent!to!which!companies!conduct!thorough!due!diligence!across!
the!full!range!of!risks!to!users’!freedom!of!expression:!
Seven!of!the!ten!platform!companies!evaluated!in!the!2017!Index!disclosed!at!least!some!
information!about!whether!they!carry!out!regular,!comprehensive,!and!credible!due!diligence,!
for!example,!in!the!shape!of!human!rights!impact!assessments!(HRIA),!to!examine!how!all!
aspects!of!their!business!affect!freedom!of!expression!and!privacy!and!to!mitigate!any!risks!
posed!by!those!impacts.
27
!Four!fully!disclosed!that!as!part!of!their!decision-making,!they!
consider!how!laws!affect!freedom!of!expression!in!jurisdictions!where!they!operate.!!Five!
companies!received!credit!for!at!least!some!information!about!assessing!freedom!of!expression!
and!privacy!risks!associated!with!existing!products!and!services,!and!six!disclosed!at!least!some!
information!about!assessing!freedom!of!expression!and!privacy!risks!associated!with!a!new!
activity.!However,!of!the!ten!platform!companies,!only!two—Yahoo!and!Microsoft—disclosed!
any!information!about!assessing!and!mitigating!the!freedom!of!expression!and!privacy!risks!
associated!with!the!processes!and!mechanisms!used!to!enforce!their!terms!of!service.!!
27
!https://rankingdigitalrights.org/index2017/indicators/#G4!!
!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! !!!! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 15
!
● Yahoo!(now!part!of!a!new!company,!Oath,!owned!by!Verizon),!received!full!credit!for!
disclosing!that!one!of!the!circumstances!triggering!an!HRIA!is!the!“review!of!internal!
processes!or!mechanisms!to!enforce!policies,!such!as!our!terms!of!service,!that!may!
impact!users’!rights!to!privacy!or!free!expression."
28
!
!
● Microsoft!received!partial!credit!for!disclosure!about!efforts!the!company!has!taken!to!
address!the!freedom!of!expression!impacts!of!how!it!enforces!its!terms!of!use!with!
regard!to!terrorist!content!reports.!In!its!disclosure,!Microsoft!also!states!that!its!
“decisions!and!actions!in!the!enforcement!of!the!terms!of!use!for!our!services!do!not!
change!based!on!whether!the!referral!is!made!by!a!government!or!any!other!non-
government!entity!or!person."
29
!However,!this!is!only!one!example!and!is!not!a!clear!
commitment!that!this!kind!of!assessment!occurs!for!all!its!products!and!services!on!an!
ongoing!basis.
!
With!the!exceptions!noted!above,!social!and!search!platform!companies!are!not!disclosing!if!
they!conduct!risk!assessments!of!the!freedom!of!expression!risks!associated!with!enforcing!
their!terms!of!service.!Much!of!company!disclosure!tends!to!focus!on!their!processes!for!
responding!to!government!requests!to!censor!content—companies!are!far!less!transparent!
when!it!comes!to!the!impact!that!their!own!rules,!and!private!party!requests!to!censor!content,!
can!have!on!freedom!of!expression.!If!companies!are!already!conducting!such!assessments!in!
these!areas,!they!should!better!communicate!them!to!their!users.!Internet!platforms!must!be!
making!informed!decisions!about!their!content!policies—unless!they!consult!with!affected!
stakeholders!and!thoroughly!consider!and!take!efforts!to!mitigate!human!rights!harms,!these!
policies!may!have!significant!negative!consequences,!which!in!many!cases!could!have!otherwise!
been!anticipated.!
!
3.!Grievance!and!Remedy!
Companies!should!provide!meaningful!remedy!when!they!become!aware!of!an!instance!in!
which!their!business!operations!may!have!resulted!in!the!infringement!of!users’!rights,!yet!few!
companies!disclose!much!information!about!their!remedy!mechanisms,!if!they!have!them!at!all.!
The!UN!Guiding!Principles!on!Business!and!Human!Rights!state!that!when!a!company!identifies!
a!situation!in!which!it!has!caused!or!contributed!to!adverse!impacts!on!human!rights,!”[...]!its!
responsibility!to!respect!human!rights!requires!active!engagement!in!remediation,!by!itself!or!in!
28
https://yahoobhrp.tumblr.com/post/75507678786/human -righ ts-impact-assessments-yahoo-has!!
29
Microsoft!Salient!Human!Rights!Issue!Report!http://download.microsoft.com/download/0/0/6/00604579-134B-
4D0E-97C3-D525DFB7890A/Microsoft_Salient_Human_Rights_Issues_Report-FY17.pdf!!
!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! !!!! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 16
cooperation!with!other!actors.”
30
!For!internet!platforms,!remedy!mechanisms!may!include!
disclosing!a!clear!process!by!which!users!can!challenge!terms!of!service!enforcement!actions!
the!company!has!taken!against!them!and!appeal!for!reinstatement!of!their!content!or!account.!
Companies!should!also!make!sure!that!their!remedy!mechanisms!are!broad!enough!to!cover!a!
range!of!complaints!that!users!may!submit.!!
!
Offline!power!structures!are!often!replicated!online,!and!in!maintaining!remedy!mechanisms,!
platforms!should!therefore!seek!to!ensure!that!marginalized!voices!are!heard.!However,!this!is!
not!currently!the!case.!For!example,!several!Rohingya!activists!have!reported!that!their!
Facebook!accounts!and/or!content!have!been!repeatedly!censored.
31
!The!content!at!issue!
ranged!from!news!about!military!atrocities,!news!about!military!action!in!Rakhine!state,!and!
even!a!poem!about!refugees!fleeing!military!violence.!“I!have!deactivated!my!account!in!
frustration,”!one!individual!told!the!Daily,Beast.!These!activists!rely!on!platforms!like!Facebook!
to!help!them!spread!awareness!and!news!of!a!conflict!often!neglected!by!mainstream!media,!
but!Facebook’s!repeated!deleting!of!their!content!and!threats!to!remove!their!accounts!silences!
voices!speaking!out!about!and!documenting!atrocities.!In!cases!such!as!this,!the!lack!of!clear!
grievance!and!remedy!mechanism!can!exacerbate!the!original!freedom!of!expression!concern,!
escalating!the!situation!from!an!instance!of!censorship!to!exile!from!the!platform!altogether!
(whether!self-imposed!or!as!a!result!of!the!company!deactivating!the!user’s!account).!Facebook!
does!allow!users!to!appeal!some!types!of!decisions!but!not!all!(users!cannot!appeal!decisions!to!
removal!individual!posts,!for!example),
32
!and!descriptions!of!the!appeals!process!reveal!that!it!
is!not!always!straightforward!or!addressed!to!the!user’s!actual!complaint.
33
!!
!
At!present,!grievance!and!remedy!mechanisms!companies!offer!are!totally!inadequate!to!match!
the!enormous!influence!these!platforms!wield!over!freedom!of!expression.!!
!
Figure!6!on!the!next!page!illustrates!the!performance!of!the!ten!internet!platforms!evaluated!
on!indicator!G6,!which!examines!company!disclosures!about!their!grievance!and!remedy!
mechanisms.!!
30
UN!Guiding!Principles,!p.!24:!
http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/GuidingPrinciplesBusinessHR_EN.pdf!!
31
!https://www.thedailybeast.com/exclusive-rohingya-activists-say-facebook- silences-them!!
32
https://onlinecensorship.org/resources/how-to-appeal!!
33
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2015/03/facebook-has-clarified-its-policies-how-about-fixing-them!!
!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! !!!! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 17
!
As!pressure!from!governments!around!the!world!to!police!content!continues!to!rise,!having!
robust!grievance!and!remedy!mechanisms!is!essential!to!mitigating!harms!to!freedom!of!
expression!and!correcting!errors.!Social!and!search!platforms!at!present!are!not!putting!
sufficient!effort!into!grievance!and!remedy,!as!the!2017!Index!data!shows.!Notably:!
!
● Of!the!ten!platform!companies!evaluated,!Kakao!had!the!highest!score,!with!58%.!While!
this!disclosure!was!largely!due!to!requirements!under!South!Korean!law,!Kakao!went!
beyond!the!legal!requirement!for!compliance!by!also!providing!users!with!an!appeals!
mechanism!when!content!is!removed!in!response!to!defamation!claims.!This!therefore!
is!not!only!an!example!of!regulation!playing!a!positive!role,!but!also!of!a!company!going!
above!and!beyond!the!minimum!legal!requirement.
!
● Only!two!platform!companies—Kakao!and!Mail.Ru—fully!disclosed!across!all!services!
that!their!grievance!and!remedy!mechanisms!include!complaints!related!to!freedom!of!
expression.!YouTube!also!received!full!credit!on!this!element,!though!Google!Search!
received!partial!credit!(G6,!Element!2,!see!appendix).
!
!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! !!!! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 18
● Twitter!was!the!only!platform!company!to!receive!any!credit!for!disclosing!the!number!
of!complaints!it!receives!related!to!freedom!of!expression.!However,!it!received!partial!
credit,!as!the!copyright!notices!section!of!its!Transparency!Report!only!includes!numbers!
of!DMCA!takedowns!and!not!other!forms!of!complaints!involving!freedom!of!
expression.
34
Having!adequate!remedy!mechanisms!in!place!to!address!freedom!of!expression!harms!is!
especially!important!in!light!of!increasing!government!pressure!for!platforms!to!regulate!
extremist!content.!This!has!come!in!the!form!of!new!laws,!such!as!Germany’s!NetzDG!law,!
mentioned!earlier!in!this!submission,!as!well!as!from!governments!publicly!calling!on!platforms!
to!step!up!efforts!to!remove!extremist!content.!Company!attempts!to!ensure!compliance!
appears!to!be!causing!them!to!err!on!the!side!of!censorship—the!consequences!of!which!can!be!
severe!as!demonstrated!by!previously!cited!examples!such!as!the!silencing!of!Rohingya!voices!in!
Myanmar!or!Syrian!opposition!activists.!Remedy!mechanisms!can!mitigate!the!harm—for!
example,!so!that!thousands!of!videos!depicting!violence!in!Syria!can!be!restored!and!preserved!
for!potential!use!in!future!war!crime!prosecutions.
35
!Effective!grievance!reporting!mechanisms!
may!also!help!to!inform!governments!and!companies!about!the!consequences!of!certain!types!
of!policing!mechanisms,!in!addition!to!helping!!companies!and!policymakers!develop!alternative!
policies!and!practices!that!result!in!less!collateral!censorship.!
!
Conclusion!!
Although!the!information!that!internet!platforms!currently!disclose!sheds!some!light!on!the!
state!of!content!regulation!in!the!digital!age,!overall,!users!and!advocates!are!still!left!in!the!
dark.!The!lack!of!company!transparency!is!especially!concerning!in!a!political!context!where!
governments!and!other!stakeholders!concerned!about!hate!speech,!extremism,!and!other!
malicious!behavior!online!are!pushing!for!greater!content!restrictions.!The!past!year!has!seen!a!
wide!variety!of!efforts!to!push!companies!to!more!vigorously!police!their!platforms,!!from!
proposals!for!automated!systems!to!detect!and!filter!copyright,
36
!and!remove!extremist!
content
37
!to!combating!hate!and!abuse.
38
!These!proposals!have!different!scopes!and!aims,!but!
until!companies!are!more!transparent!about!their!own!policies,!and!how!they!respond!to!third!
party!requests,!it!is!unclear!what!further!impact!the!newly!proposed!measures!may!have!on!
users’!freedom!of!expression!rights.!It!is!difficult!to!gauge!the!potential!impact!to!freedom!of!
34
https://transparency.twitter.com/copyrigh t-notices/2015/jul-dec!!
35
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-41023234!!
36
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/10/digital-rights-groups-demand-deletion-unlawful-filtering-mandate-
proposed-eu!!
37
https://cdt.org/blog/pressuring-platforms-to-censor-content-is-wrong-approach-to-combatting-terrorism/!!
38
https://www.theverge.com/2017/10/14/16410348/twitter-boycott-new-rules-enforcemen t-aggressive-stance-
harassment-jack-dorsey!!
!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! !!!! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 19
expression!when!little!data!about!content!restrictions!is!available,!when!companies!themselves!
do!not!appear!to!be!conducting!comprehensive!impact!assessments,!and!when!users!whose!
voices!are!silenced!do!not!have!adequate!grievance!and!remedy!mechanisms!through!which!to!
lodge!complaints!and!restore!their!content.!
!
Meanwhile,!freedom!of!expression!advocates!warn!that!the!trend!towards!privatizing!
censorship!-!leaving!the!rule-making!and!enforcement!to!companies!with!minimal!government!
or!court!involvement!-!raises!significant!freedom!of!expression!risks,!and!that!these!efforts!
come!with!significant!negative!consequences.
39
!!RDR!agrees!with!those!who!argue!that!
legislation!that!increases!intermediary!liability!will!not!advance!freedom!of!expression!but!
rather!would!create!additional!risks!for!violating!it.!On!the!other!hand,!there!has!been!relatively!
little!discussion!among!stakeholders!about!laws!or!incentives!that!would!increase!transparency!
about!how!expression!is!governed!online!by!companies!and!governments.!Measures!requiring!
or!incentivizing!internet!platforms!to!provide!greater!transparency!to!users!and!the!public,!to!
conduct!risk!assessments!on!potential!threats!their!services!and!policies!may!have!to!freedom!
of!expression,!and!offering!robust!remedy!mechanisms,!could!potentially!improve!
accountability!among!all!actors!and!would!also!help!to!inform!better!solutions!to!the!real!
problem!of!malicious!content!and!behavior!online.!!
!
Corporate!transparency,!however,!must!be!matched!by!commitment!from!governments!to!
disclose!comprehensive!data!about!the!volume!and!nature!of!requests!being!made!to!
companies.!Governments!should!similarly!conduct!human!rights!impact!assessments!to!identify!
potential!adverse!impacts!that!may!be!caused!by!the!enforcement!of!laws!targeting!content!on!
internet!platforms.!Finally,!governments!should!ensure!that!effective!legal!and!other!types!of!
remedies!are!available!to!those!whose!freedom!of!expression!rights!are!infringed!when!
companies!attempt!to!comply!with!laws!and!other!requirements!to!police!content.!!
!
! !
39
https://cdt.org/blog/pressuring-platforms-to-censor-content-is-wrong-approach-to- co mb atting-te rrorism /!!
!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! !!!! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 20
Recommendations!
!
For!companies:!
!
● Improve!transparency!and!accountability!about!all!types!of!third-party!requests!to!
restrict!content!or!user!accounts—government!requests!as!well!as!requests!by!private!
individuals!and!organizations.!To!the!maximum!extent!possible!under!the!law,!
companies!should!publish!comprehensive!information!(including!transparency!reports)!
related!to!the!following!types!of!third-party!requests:!
!
○ Process!for!responding!to!all!types!of!third-party!requests!to!restrict!content,!
access,!or!service;!
!
○ Data!about!government!requests!to!restrict!content,!access,!or!service;!
!
○ Data!about!private!requests!for!content!restriction.!
!
● Publish!data!on!a!regular!basis!about!the!volume!and!nature!of!content!removals!and!
account!restrictions!that!the!company!makes!to!enforce!its!terms!of!service.!
!
● Conduct!regular!assessments!to!determine!the!impact!of!the!company's!products,!
services,!and!business!operations!on!users'!freedom!of!expression!and!privacy.!
Companies!should!carry!out!human!rights!impact!assessments!on!a!regular!basis!and!
continue!to!assess!the!potential!impact!of!their!products!and!services!after!the!initial!
rollout.!Companies!should!also!pay!close!attention!to!the!implications!of!their!terms!of!
service!enforcement!policies!when!conducting!HRIAs.!!
!
● Conduct!meaningful!outreach!to!different!stakeholder!groups!in!order!to!learn!how!
their!services!may!be!negatively!impacting!users!in!different!communities,!and!identify!
ways!to!mitigate!these!harms.!
!
● Establish!effective!grievance!and!remedy!mechanisms,!and!clearly!indicate!that!these!
mechanisms!can!be!used!to!raise!concerns!related!to!potential!or!actual!violations!of!
freedom!of!expression!and!privacy.!
!
!
!
!
!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! !!!! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 21
For!governments:!
!
● Instead!of!passing!laws!that!would!increase!intermediary!liability!on!internet!platforms,!
governments!should!perhaps!consider!regulation!requiring!greater!transparency!from!
internet!platforms.!This!would!not!only!help!to!advance!freedom!of!expression!on!these!
platforms,!but!could!also!help!to!address!ongoing!concerns!of!their!use!in!potential!
misinformation!and!manipulation!of!public!opinion.
40
!!
!
● Consider!the!potential!for!regulation!requiring!companies!to!conduct!risk!assessments!
on!potential!threats!their!services!and!policies!may!have!to!freedom!of!expression,!and!
offer!robust!remedy!mechanisms.!!
!
● Ensure!that!laws!and!regulations!allow!companies!to!be!transparent!and!accountable!
with!users!about!how!they!receive!and!handle!government!requests!to!restrict!content.!
!
● Conduct!human!rights!impact!assessments!on!all!proposed!and!existing!laws!related!to!
the!regulation!of!online!platforms!to!identify!and!mitigate!potential!violations!of!users’!
rights!to!freedom!of!expression.!!
!
● Work!with!companies!to!establish!effective!legal!and!other!types!of!grievance!and!
remedy!mechanisms!for!people!whose!right!to!freedom!of!expression!has!been!
infringed!in!the!course!of!policing!platforms!for!malicious!content.!!
!
!
! !
40
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/29/business/facebook-misinformation-abroad.html!!
!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! !!!! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 22
Appendix:!Full!text!of!relevant!2017!Corporate!Accountability!Index!indicators!
The!full!methodology,!including!definitions!and!research!guidance,!used!for!the!2017!Index!can!be!
downloaded!at:!https://rankingdigitalrights.org/wp-
content/uploa ds /20 16/ 09/2 01 7Ind ex m eth od olo gy.p df!
!
Raw!research!data!for!all!indicators,!along!with!the!full!2017!Index!report!can!be!downloaded!at:!
https://rankingdigitalrights.org/index2017/download/!!
!
Full!text!of!indicators!discussed!in!th is!sub m ission !is!duplica ted !belo w ,!plus!links!to! ind ic ator!research !
guidance!and!definitions!as!well!as!links!to!the!relevant!2017!Index!results!for!each!indicator.!!
!
Indicato rs !F 3-F7!assess!transparency!about!company!actions!affecting!freedom!of!express ion .!!
Indicato r!G4!assesses!disclosure!of!impact!assessment.!!
Indicato r!G6!assesses!disclosure!of!grievance!and!remedy!mechanisms.!!
!!
F3.!Process!for!terms!of!service!enforcement! ! ! ! ! !
https://rankingdigitalrights.org/2017-indicato rs/ # F3 ,,
The!company!should!clearly!disclose!the!circumstances!und er!w h ich!it!ma y!restrict!content!or!user!
accounts.!
,
Results:,https://rankingdigitalrights.org/index2017/indicators/#F3,,
! ! ! ! ! !
Elements:! ! ! !
1. Does!the!company!clearly!disclose!what!types!of!content!or!activities!it!does!not!permit?!
! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! #
2. Does!the!company!clearly!disclose!why!it!may!restrict!a!user’s!account?#
! !
3. Does!the!company!clearly!disclose!informa tio n !ab o u t!t h e!p ro c es s es !it!u s es !to !id e nt ify!co ntent!
or!accounts!that!violate!the!company ’s!r ule s ? #
! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
4. Does!the!company!clearly!disclose!whether!any!government!authorities!receive!priority!
consideration!when!flagging!content!to!be!restricted!for!violating!the!company’s!rules?#
! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
5. Does!the!company!clearly!disclose!whether!any!private!entities!receive!priority!consideration!
when!flagging!content!to!be!restricted!for!violating!the!company’s!rules?#
! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
6. Does!the!company!clearly!disclose!its!proces s!fo r!e n fo rc in g!it s!ru le s? #
! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
7. Does!the!compa ny!p rovid e!clea r!exa m ples!to !help !the!u ser!u nd ersta nd !wh at!th e!rule s!are!an d!
how!they!are!enforced?!! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! !
! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! !
!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! !!!! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 23
! !
F4.!Data!about!terms!of!service!enforcement! ! ! ! ! !
https://rankingdigitalrights.org/2017-indicato rs/ # F4 ,,
The!company!should!clearly!disclose!and!regularly!publish!data!about!the!volume!and!nature!of!actions!
taken!to!restrict!con ten t!or!accounts!that!violate!the!company’s!rules.!
,
Results:,https://rankingdigitalrights.org/index2017/indicators/#F4,, , ! ! ! !
!
Elements:!
1. Does!the!company!clearly!disclose!data!about!the!volume!and!nature!of!content!and!accounts!
restricted!for!violating !the!co m p an y’s!rules ?#
! !
2. Does!the!company!publish!this!data!at!least!once!a!year?!
! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Can!the!data!published!by!the!company!be!exported!as!a!structured!data!file?!#
! !
! ! ! ! ! !
F5.!Process!for!responding!to!third-party!requests!for!content!or!account!restriction! ! !
https://rankingdigitalrights.org/2017-indicato rs/ # F5 ,,
The!company!should!clearly!disclose!its!process!fo r!re sp o n d in g!t o !governm ent!requests!(including!
judicial!ord e rs )!a n d! private!requests!to!remove,!filter,!or!restrict!content!or!accounts.!!
!
Results:,https://rankingdigitalrig h ts .o rg /in d e x2 0 1 7 /in d ica to r s/# F 5,,
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Elements:!
1. Does!the!company!clearly!disclose!its!process!for!re s po n d in g !to !non-judicial!go ve rn ment!
requests?#
! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
2. Does!the!company!clearly!disclose!its!proces s!fo r!r es p o nd in g !to !court!orders?#
!
3. Does!the!company!clearly!disclose!its!proces s!fo r!r es p o nd in g !to !governm ent!requests!from!
foreign!jurisdiction s? !#
!
4. Does!the!company!clearly!disclose!its!process!for!responding!to!private!requests?#
!
5. Do!the!company’s!explanations!clearly!disclose!the!legal!basis!under!which!it!may!comply!with!
government!requests?#
!
6. Do!the!company’s!explanations!clearly!disclose!the!basis!under!wh ich!it!m ay!co m p ly!with !
private!requests?! #
!
!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! !!!! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 24
7. Does!the!company!clearly!disclose!that!it!carries!out!due!diligen ce !on!governm ent!requests!
before!deciding!how!to!respond?#
!
8. Does!the!company!clearly!disclose!that!it!carries!out!due!diligen ce !on!private!requests!before!
deciding!how!to!respond?#
!
9. Does!the!company!commit!to!push!back!on!inappropriate!or!overbroad!requests!made !by!
governments?!#
!
10. !Does!the!company!commit!to!push!back!on!inappropriate!or!overbroad!private!requests?#
!
11. Does!the!company!provide!clear!guidance!or!examples!of!implementation!of!its!process!of!
responding !to!governm ent!requests?#
!
12. Does!the!company!provide!clear!guidance!or!examples!of!implementation!of!its!process!of!
responding !to!private!requests?!! #
! ! ! !
! ! ! ! !! !! !! ! !
F6.!Data!about!government!requests!for!content!or!account!restriction! !
https://rankingdigitalrights.org/2017-indicato rs/ # F6 ,,
The!company!should!regularly!publish!data!about!government!requests!(including!judicia l!orde rs)!to!
remove,!filter,!or!restrict!content!or!accounts.!
,
Results:,https://rankingdigitalrights.org/index2017/indicators/#F6,,
! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Elements:!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! !
1. Does!the!company!break!out!the!number!of!requests!it!receives!by!country ?!
!
2. Does!the!company!list!the!number!of!accounts!affected?!
!
3. Does!the!company!list!the!number!of!pieces!of!content!or!URLs!affected?!
!
4. Does!the!company!list!the!types!of!subject!matter!associated!with!the!requests!it!receives?!
!
5. Does!the!company!list!the!number!of!requests!that!come!from!different!legal!authorities?!
!
6. Does!the!company!list!the!number!of!requests!with!which!it!complied?!
!
7. Does!the!company!publish!the!original!requests!or!disclose!that!it!provides!copies!to!a!public!
third-party!archive?#
!
8. Does!the!company!reports!this!data!at!least!once!a!year?!
!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! !!!! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 25
!
9. Can!the!data!be!exported!as!a!structured!data!file?!! #
! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! !
! ! ! ! ! !
F7.!Data!about!private!requests!for!content!or!account!restriction!
https://rankingdigitalrights.org/2017-indicato rs/ # F7 ,,
The!company!should!regularly!publish!data!about!private!requests!to!remove,!filter,!or!restrict!acces s!to!
content!or!accounts.!
!
Results:,https://rankingdigitalrights.org/index2017/indicators/#F7,,
! ! ! ! ! !
Elements:! ! ! ! !
1. Does!the!company!break!out!the!number!of!requests!it!receives!by!country?! ! !
! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
2. Does!the!company!list!the!number!of!accounts!affected?#
!
3. Does!the!company!list!the!number!of!pieces!of!content!or!URLs!affected?!
! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
4. Does!the!company!list!the!reasons!for!removal!associated!with!the!requests!it!receives?! !
! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
5. Does!the!company!describe!the!types!of!parties!from!which!it!receives!requests?!
! ! !
6. Does!the!company!list!the!number!of!requests!it!complied!with?!
! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
7. Does!the!company!publish!the!original!requests!or!disclose!that!it!provides!copies!to!a!public!
third-party!archive? ! #
!
8. Does!the!company!report!this!data!at!least!once!a!year?!
!
9. Can!the!data!be!exported!as!a!structured!data!file?!#
!
10. !Does!the!company!clearly!disclose!that!its!reporting!cove rs!all!type s!of!private!requests!that!it!
receives?!#
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
! ! ! ! ! !
!
!
G4.!Impact!assessment!!!
https://rankingdigitalrights.org/2017-indicato rs/ # G 4 ,! ! ! ! !
!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! !!!! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 26
The!company!should!conduct!regular,!comprehensive,!and!credible!due!diligence,!such!as!human!rights!
impac t!a s sessme n t s,!t o !id e n t ify !h o w!all!aspects!o f!it s!busine s s!a f fe c t!f re e d o m!of!ex p r e ss io n !a n d!privac y !
and!to!mitigate!any!risks!posed!by!those!impacts.!
!
Results:,https://rankingdigitalrights.org/index2017/indicators/#G4,,
! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Elements:! ! ! ! ! ! !
1. As!part!of!its!decision-making,!does!the!company!consider!how!laws!affect!freedom!of!
expression!and!privacy!in!jurisdictions!where!it!operates?!!
!
2. Does!the!company!regularly!assess!freedom!of!expression!and!privacy!risks!associated!with!
existing!products!and!services?!!
!
3. Does!the!company!assess!freedom!of!expression!and!privacy!risks!associated!with!a!new!activity,!
including !t he !la u n ch !a n d/ o r!a cq u is itio n !of !n ew!produ c ts ,!se rvices,!or!companies!or!entry!into!
new!markets?!!
!
4. Does!the!company!assess!freedom!of!expression!and!privacy!risks!associated!with!the!processes!
and!mechanisms!used!to!enforce!its!terms!of!service?!!
!
5. Does!the!company!conduct!additional!evaluation!wherever!the!company’s!risk!assessments!
identify!co n c er n s? !!
!
6. Do!senior!executives!and/or!members!of!the!company’s!board!of!directors!review!and!consider!
the!results!of!assessm e nts !and !du e!diligen ce!in!th eir!decision-making?#
!
7. Does!the!company!conduct!assessments!on!a!regular!schedule?!
!
8. Are!the!company’s!assessments!assured!by!an!external!third!party?!
!
9. Is!the!ex te rn a l!th ir d !p a rty !th a t!a s su r es !th e !a ss es s m e n t!a c cr ed it ed!to!a!rele v ant!and!r e p u ta b le !
human!rights!standard!by!a!credible!organization?!!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
G6.!Remedy!!!
https://rankingdigitalrights.org/2017-indicato rs/ # G 6 ,,!
!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! !!!! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 27
The!company!should!have!grievance!and!remedy!mechanisms!to!address!users’!freedom!of!expre ssio n!
and!privacy!concerns.!
!
Results:,https://rankingdigitalrights.org/index2017/indicators/#G6,,
! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Elements:! ! ! ! ! ! !
1. Does!the!company!clearly!disclose!its!proces se s!f or !rec e ivin g !co mplaint s? #
!
2. Does!the!company!clearly!disclose!that!its!process!include s!co m plain ts!related !to!free do m !of!
expression!and!privacy?#
!
3. Does!the!company!clearly!disclose!its!proces s!fo r!r es p o nd in g !to !c omplaint s? #
!
4. Does!the!company!report!on!the!number!of!complaints!received!related!to!freedom!of!
expression!and!privacy?!
!
5. Does!the!company!provide!clear!evidence!that!it!is!responding!to!complaints?!!
