Microsoft, Google and two other technology companies will develop a code of conduct with a coalition of nongovernmental organizations to promote freedom of expression and privacy rights, they announced Friday. The two companies along with Yahoo and Vodafone Group said the new guidelines are the result of talks with Business for Social Responsibility and the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School. Technology companies have come under fire for providing equipment or software that permits governments to censor information or monitor the online or offline activities of their citizens. For example, last year, Google’s approach to the China market was criticized over its creation of a censored, local version of its search engine. A Yahoo subsidiary was cited by human rights groups for working with Chinese police to identify political activists, who were ultimately arrested and prosecuted for posting anti-government opinions and information online. The parties involved said they would develop a framework that would hold signatories accountable for their actions in the areas of freedom of expression and privacy rights. The groups participating in development of the guidelines include: Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School, Business for Social Responsibility, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Human Rights Watch and Reporters Without Borders. -Steven Schwankert, IDG News Service (Beijing Bureau)Check out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content feature Key IT initiatives reshape the CIO agenda While cloud, cybersecurity, and analytics remain top of mind for IT leaders, a shift toward delivering business value is altering how CIOs approach key priorities, pushing transformative projects to the next phase. By Mary Pratt May 30, 2023 10 mins IT Strategy IT Leadership opinion Managing IT right starts with rightsizing IT for value While there are few universals when it comes to saying unambiguously what ‘managing IT right’ looks like, knowing how to navigate the limitless possibilities of IT is surely one. By Thornton May May 30, 2023 6 mins Digital Transformation IT Strategy IT Leadership brandpost Designing the campus of the future starts with high-quality 10Gbps connectivity By Huawei May 30, 2023 4 mins Network Architect Networking Devices Networking feature Red Hat embraces hybrid cloud for internal IT The maker of OpenShift has leveraged its own open container offering to migrate business-critical apps to AWS as part of a strategy to move beyond facilitating hybrid cloud for others and capitalize on the model for itself. By Paula Rooney May 29, 2023 5 mins CIO 100 Technology Industry Hybrid Cloud Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe