Business and human rights in the data economy: A mapping and research study

Abstract

Digitalization is gaining importance rapidly. However, neither companies nor states have yet developed a sufficient understanding of the data economy’s human rights impacts. The study suggests that addressing the corporate responsibility of technology companies through a business and human rights lens has the benefit of anchoring the debate in internationally established norms and universally accepted human rights. Furthermore, discussing human rights in the data economy from this angle opens the possibility for companies to use or learn from managerial toolkits that have already been developed in this field.