In recent years, human rights groups like Amnesty International have accused big tech firms such as Google of not prioritising rights issues. ― AFP pic
Saturday, 04 Mar 2023
WASHINGTON, March 4 ― Google yesterday released an audit that examined how its policies and services impacted civil rights, and recommended the tech giant take steps to tackle misinformation and hate speech, following pressure by advocates to hold such a review.
The disclosure by the company came after the Washington Post reported earlier yesterday that Google tapped an outside law firm to conduct a civil rights review. Law firm WilmerHale was tasked with carrying out the assessment.
The review released yesterday recommended that Google, especially YouTube, review its hate speech and harassment policies to address issues such as intentional misgendering or deadnaming of individuals and “adapt to changing norms regarding protected groups.”
The review also said that to better tackle misinformation related to elections, the company should ensure that employees with language fluency are more involved in enforcement actions instead of relying on translation.
Google should also consider developing additional metrics to track the speed and efficiency with which it removes ads on election-related misinformation, including imposing higher penalties and permanent suspension in the case of repeat offenders, the review added.
“We are committed to constantly improving, and that includes efforts to strengthen our approaches to civil and human rights. To help guide us, we conducted and released a voluntary civil rights audit of our policies, practices, and products,” Chanelle Hardy, head of civil rights at Google, said in an emailed statement on Friday.
In recent years, human rights groups like Amnesty International have accused big tech firms such as Google of not prioritising rights issues.
“The companies' surveillance-based business model is inherently incompatible with the right to privacy and poses a threat to a range of other rights including freedom of opinion and expression, freedom of thought, and the right to equality and non-discrimination,” Amnesty International had said in a 2019 report on Google and Facebook.
WASHINGTON, March 4 ― Google yesterday released an audit that examined how its policies and services impacted civil rights, and recommended the tech giant take steps to tackle misinformation and hate speech, following pressure by advocates to hold such a review.
The disclosure by the company came after the Washington Post reported earlier yesterday that Google tapped an outside law firm to conduct a civil rights review. Law firm WilmerHale was tasked with carrying out the assessment.
The review released yesterday recommended that Google, especially YouTube, review its hate speech and harassment policies to address issues such as intentional misgendering or deadnaming of individuals and “adapt to changing norms regarding protected groups.”
The review also said that to better tackle misinformation related to elections, the company should ensure that employees with language fluency are more involved in enforcement actions instead of relying on translation.
Google should also consider developing additional metrics to track the speed and efficiency with which it removes ads on election-related misinformation, including imposing higher penalties and permanent suspension in the case of repeat offenders, the review added.
“We are committed to constantly improving, and that includes efforts to strengthen our approaches to civil and human rights. To help guide us, we conducted and released a voluntary civil rights audit of our policies, practices, and products,” Chanelle Hardy, head of civil rights at Google, said in an emailed statement on Friday.
In recent years, human rights groups like Amnesty International have accused big tech firms such as Google of not prioritising rights issues.
“The companies' surveillance-based business model is inherently incompatible with the right to privacy and poses a threat to a range of other rights including freedom of opinion and expression, freedom of thought, and the right to equality and non-discrimination,” Amnesty International had said in a 2019 report on Google and Facebook.
― Reuters
Google taps law firm to conduct civil rights review - Washington Post
Fri, March 3, 2023
Fri, March 3, 2023
A Google LLC logo is seen at the Google offices in the Chelsea section of New York City
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Google has tapped an outside law firm to review how its services and policies impact civil rights and racial equity, the Washington Post reported on Friday, citing two people familiar with the matter.
The civil rights audit has been months in the making and is set to examine how the company's diversity and inclusion policies and approach to content moderation may affect marginalized communities, including at its subsidiary YouTube, the newspaper said. The company has hired WilmerHale, a prominent law firm, to carry out the assessment, the report added.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Ismail Shakil)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Google has tapped an outside law firm to review how its services and policies impact civil rights and racial equity, the Washington Post reported on Friday, citing two people familiar with the matter.
The civil rights audit has been months in the making and is set to examine how the company's diversity and inclusion policies and approach to content moderation may affect marginalized communities, including at its subsidiary YouTube, the newspaper said. The company has hired WilmerHale, a prominent law firm, to carry out the assessment, the report added.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Ismail Shakil)
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