“Human Rights By Design” Approach Can Guide Companies Developing Digital Contact Tracing Tech

In this article in Corporate Counsel, special counsel Betsy Popken details the need for companies to address human rights considerations as they develop digital contact tracing technology in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Betsy, who co-leads our Business and Human Rights Practice, provides a road map for business leaders to conduct human rights impact assessments to evaluate the potential impact of such technology on the global human rights landscape. Betsy notes that these assessments have become more commonplace in the tech sector, and can mitigate adverse human rights consequences in areas such as privacy and freedom of movement.

"A proactive, 'human rights by design' approach can help a company mitigate any unintended adverse impact its digital contact tracing tools might have," Betsy wrote.