We Ask Big Tech to protect people and elections

At TEDIC, we have joined more than 170 organizations in a call to social media advertisers to protect elections and human rights for all people.

Since 2023, we have been part of the Global Coalition for Tech Justice (GCTJ). This coalition, composed of over 170 civil society organizations and digital rights experts, works to ensure that major tech companies protect human rights and the integrity of elections globally.

What is the Global Coalition for Tech Justice (GCTJ)?

The Global Coalition for Tech Justice is an international alliance dedicated to addressing the harms caused by tech platforms and promoting digital justice. Through campaigns and advocacy efforts, the coalition aims to ensure that tech companies prioritize human rights and user safety.

Recently, the GCTJ issued a statement directed at social media advertisers and digital platforms, urging them to join the fight to protect elections and safeguard human rights. This call comes after a year of unsuccessful efforts to engage major tech companies, such as Meta, Google, X, and TikTok, in implementing robust electoral protection plans.

Key points of the statement:

1. Context of global elections: Over 2 billion people will vote in more than 65 countries this year, marking the first “year of democracy” in the era of social media and artificial intelligence.
2. Failures of major tech companies: Despite GCTJ’s efforts, major tech platforms have not taken sufficient measures to protect election integrity and human rights, resulting in misinformation, hate speech, and influence operations.
3. Negative impacts of AI: Artificial intelligence has exacerbated the ability to create and spread online misinformation, negatively affecting elections and user safety.
4. Responsibility of advertisers: Advertisers have the power to influence the behavior of major tech companies. This statement urges advertisers to pressure these platforms to adopt comprehensive electoral and human rights protection measures.

Our Commitment

At TEDIC, we are committed to digital justice and the protection of human rights. As a member organization of this coalition, we join this call because we firmly believe that collaboration between civil society and advertisers can bring about significant change in the practices of major tech companies.

For more information about this initiative, visit: yearofdemocracy.org.

To read the statement, click here.