Protect fundamental rights
At Microsoft, protecting fundamental rights means promoting responsible business practices, expanding accessibility and connectivity, and advancing fair and inclusive societies.
Responsible business practices
We aspire to be leaders in human rights and a catalyst for action by others in the tech sector and beyond.
Respecting and promoting human rights
We rely on international standards to help ensure that our business activities respect and promote human rights and that technology plays a positive role.
Supply chain integrity
Our global supply chain leans into responsible sourcing centered around the environment, people’s fundamental rights, ethics due diligence standards, and supplier risk management.
Accessibility and connectivity
Increasingly, internet access and accessible technology must be considered fundamental rights. Without them, people lack access to education, healthcare, jobs, and essential services.
Closing the connectivity gap
Approximately 2.7 billion people globally do not have access to the internet. Our Airband Initiative brings affordable access to millions of people in unserved communities so they can participate in school, work, telehealth, and more.
Expanding accessibility and inclusion
We’re committed to creating and growing the use of accessible technology, expanding skill-building and hiring opportunities for people with disabilities, and advocating for policies that advance accessibility as a fundamental right.
Fair and inclusive societies
Where our technology has the potential to exacerbate societal harms, we must work to mitigate those harms. We work to advance fundamental rights by addressing the impacts of technology on society.
Protecting the institutions of democracy
Our Democracy Forward initiative works to advance and protect democracy by safeguarding democratic processes, promoting a healthy information ecosystem, and working to enhance media literacy, civic engagement, and societal resilience to foreign influence operations.
Strengthening justice reform
Through tech and policy partnerships, we pilot and scale technology solutions, support the responsible adoption of AI-enabled technologies, and we influence new policies and practices at the intersection of technology and justice.
“We must work to ensure that AI technology is understood and that everyone can access its benefits.”
—Teresa Hutson, Corporate Vice President, Technology for Fundamental Rights, Microsoft
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