Ethical tech and responsible tech
While the first generations of tech-for-good work took a solutionist approach to addressing existing problems with new technology, scholars and activists are driving growing awareness of the problems with technology itself. By exposing the negative consequences, intended or otherwise, of tech, these communities draw attention to issues with tech-centric approaches. Not all of the projects here adopt an ethics lens in their work, but we use it here for simplicity's sake.
Suggested reading:
- 10 things we should all demand from Big Tech right now, Vox (2019)
- Technology Ethics in Action: Critical and Interdisciplinary Perspectives. Edited by Ben Green.
Journal of Online Trust and Safety
The Journal of Online Trust and Safety is a cross-disciplinary, open access, fast peer-review journal that publishes research on how consumer internet services are abused to cause harm and how to prev...
The Tech Worker Handbook
The Tech Worker Handbook is a collection of resources for tech workers who are looking to make more informed decisions about whether to speak out on issues that are in the public interest
World Bank Data for Better Lives report
Covering data for social good, data governance, and societal-level data considerations
Co-op Foundation
The Co-op Foundation helps disadvantaged communities overcome their challenges by putting co-operative values into practice. It aims to stimulate and strengthen community action that connects and empo...
Responsible Tech Job Board
Want to improve our tech future? Work in it!
JAAKLAC initiative
Reseaching and advocating for critical digital education and youth participation from Latin America and the Majority World
Openly Operated
The free transparency certification
Up & Go
Home cleaning in NYC you can feel great about
Our Data Bodies
Based in marginalized neighborhoods in Charlotte, North Carolina, Detroit, Michigan, and Los Angeles, California, we look at digital data collection and our human rights, work with local communities,...
Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency in Machine Learning community compilation
Data & Society Research Institute
Data & Society is a research institute focused on the social and cultural issues arising from data-centric technological development.
Mozilla Foundation
Established in 2003, guided by the Mozilla Manifesto, the Mozilla Foundation believes the Internet is a global public resource that must remain open and accessible to all.
Ranking Digital Rights
Ranking ICT sector companies on respect for free expression and privacy
Automating Society
The first comprehensive study of automated decisionmaking in Europe
Data Justice Lab
The Data Justice Lab examines the intricate relationship between datafication and social justice, highlighting the politics and impacts of data-driven processes and big data
Global Network Initiative
Protecting and advancing freedom of expression and privacy in information and communications technologies.
WebWeWant
We help everyone to shape and claim the future of the Web.
The Cleaners
It tells of the global impact of online censorship and shows how fake news and hatred are disseminated and strengthened by the social networks.
European AI & Society Fund
The European AI Fund is a philanthropic initiative to shape the direction of AI in Europe
Darcy
Darcy will allow everyone to run their own federated social media instance – without having to worry about technology, moderation or legal compliance, because Darcy will take care of that for you – if...
Speak Out Tech
What if Tech said
Outbreak Science Rapid PREreview
A platform for the rapid review of outbreak-related preprints
The People's Platform: Taking Back Power and Culture in the Digital Age
From a cutting-edge cultural commentator, a bold and brilliant challenge to cherished notions of the Internet as the great leveler of our age The Internet has been hailed as an unprecedented democrati...
Automating Inequality: How High-Tech Tools Profile, Police, and Punish the Poor
A powerful investigative look at data-based discrimination—and how technology affects civil and human rights and economic equity
Center for Humane Technology
The Center for Humane Technology is a world-class team of former tech insiders and CEOs who are advancing thoughtful solutions to change the culture, business incentives, design techniques, and organi...
Digital Impact
Digital Impact (formerly Markets for Good) is an initiative of the Digital Civil Society Lab to improve the data infrastructure for social good and help civil society organizations use digital resourc...
Data Harm Record
The aim of this document is to provide a running record of ‘data harms’, harms that have been caused by uses of big data. The goal is to document and learn from where things have gone wrong.
NYC Automated Decisions Systems Task Force
Local Law 49
Platform Coop
Supporting platform co-ops.
Bail-setting algorithms in Philadelphia
Philadelphia should think twice about its risk-assessment algorithm.
Civic Data Alliance
All The Data, For We The People
Coops.tech
Creative technology companies, fully owned and controlled by the people who do the work.
Fairwork
The Fairwork Foundation is a project that is working to set and measure standards in the platform economy.
ethiTech
Our goal is to exponentially accelerate our ability to address global challenges that threaten our existence.
Ethics In Tech
Ethics In Technology works towards increased awareness around the ethical use of technology and seeks to make a positive impact through engaging the public at all levels of our society in conversation...
Principled Artificial Intelligence
A map of ethical and rights-based approaches
PeaceTech Living Learning Community
Exploring the intersection of peace-building and technology—critically reflecting on the social impact of technology and fostering the creation of “tech for good.”
The Project on Governing the Digital Public Sphere
To support the Yale Information Society Project’s work on how law should regulate and social media companies should govern the digital public sphere
Campaign to Stop Killer Robots
The Campaign to Stop Killer Robots is a growing global coalition of 250+ international, regional, and national non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in 65 countries that is working to preemptively ba...
Data Commons Manifesto
It reflects the discussions and proposals of dozens of people and collectives involved in the Digital Democracy and Data Commons participatory process.
Racial Literacy in Tech
Racial literacy is a new method for addressing the racially disparate impacts of technology.
Eticas Consulting
Eticas teams up with organizations to identify black box algorithmic vulnerabilities and retrains AI-powered technology with better source data and content.
The ODI's Data Ethics Canvas
The Data Ethics Canvas is designed to help identify potential ethical issues associated with a data project or activity. It promotes understanding and debate around the foundation, intention and poten...
MIT Media Lab Disobedience Award
By Joi Ito, Director, MIT Media Lab
Civic Data Library of Context
A collaborative platform for open metadata built on intersectional and inclusive practices of ethical data governance.
The Markup
We are a new publication illuminating how powerful institutions are using technology in ways that impact people and society.
DATAJUSTICE project
This project explores the meaning of social justice in an age of datafication
Digital Impact Alliance (DIAL)
Advancing an inclusive digital society