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human rights

14 free resources on this topic. Everything here is free and hand-picked. You can also search within this topic.

Freepaper
Research & Papers

Digital Colonialism and the Role of Local Intermediaries: Big Tech, Data Sovereignty and Human Rights in Africa

An open-access scholarly article in the Business and Human Rights Journal (2025) by Jake Okechukwu Effoduh of Toronto Metropolitan University. It examines how Big Tech firms and local intermediaries perpetuate data exploitation, infrastructure dependency and algorithmic bias in Africa, drawing parallels between historical colonialism and the modern digital economy.

#digital-colonialism#data-sovereignty#africa#human-rights#big-tech
cambridge.orgAdded Sep 29, 20260 opens
FreeResearch
Technology & Ethics

Council of Europe Framework Convention on AI

The first binding international treaty on AI, opened for signature in 2024, requiring signatories to keep AI consistent with human rights, democracy and the rule of law. The official site blocked the automated check, but this is a public treaty document.

#ai-policy#treaty#international#human-rights
coe.intAdded Sep 28, 20260 opens
FreeWebinar
Live Events & Competitions

Lampedusa Keeps Happening: Refugees and the Power of Tech to Harm or Heal

Oct 1, 2026

Free registration webinar on how technology is used both against and in support of refugees and people migrating. 1 October 2026, 12:00 PM US Eastern Time.

From the site: On October 3, 2013, 368 people, mostly Eritrean refugees, lost their lives in the Lampedusa shipwreck. On the 13th anniversary of the tragedy, join DAIR’s "Refugees, Migrants, and AI" project for an event that commemorates those who died and asks why, more than a decade later, Lampedusa keeps happening. Bringing toget…

Details: Free to attend with registration. Good if you want the human-rights side of technology rather than the product side.

#ai ethics#human rights#refugees#technology#webinar
ZoomAdded Sep 18, 20260 opens
FreeWebsite
Technology & Ethics

Faine Greenwood

Personal site of Faine Greenwood, a specialist in civilian drone technology, GIS, OSINT and humanitarian aid. She writes about drones, technology and human rights for outlets like Foreign Policy, Bellingcat and Slate, and publishes the Little Flying Robots newsletter.

From the site: I’m Faine Greenwood, and I’m available for consulting. I’m a specialist in civilian drone technology, GIS, OSINT, and humanitarian aid. I write about drones, technology, and human rights for outlets like Foreign Policy, Bellingcat, and Slate. I’ve been working with, writing about, and flying small drones since 2013. C…

#drones#gis#human rights#humanitarian#journalism#osint#regulation#research#technology
Faine GreenwoodAdded Sep 18, 20260 opens
FreeOrganization
Technology & Ethics

Access Now

Global nonprofit defending and extending digital rights for everyone.

From the site: Digital rightsfor everyone. Derechos digitalespara todas. .الحقوق الرقمية للجميع Droits numériquespour tous. Access Now defends and extends the digital

#ai ethics#AI governance#digital rights#human rights#nonprofit#privacy#regulation
Access NowAdded Sep 18, 20260 opens
FreeEvent
Live Events & Competitions

RightsCon Summit Series

Global summit series bringing together human rights and technology communities. The RightsCon Continues Summit takes place online across the globe.

From the site: The RightsCon Continues Summit will take place online across the globe on September 22.

#human rights#technology#conference#digital rights#global
RightsCon Summit SeriesAdded Sep 18, 20260 opens
FreeOrganization
Technology & Ethics

Migration and Technology Monitor

A research project documenting the technologies used at borders and their effect on people who migrate.

Why I recommend it: Border technology is where the harshest systems get tested first.

#ai#ai ethics#borders#free#governance#human-rights#migration#regulation#research#surveillance#tech-ethics#technology
migrationtechmonitor.comAdded Sep 16, 20260 opens
FreeWebsite
Technology & Ethics

Data Workers' Inquiry

Worker-led research and mental-health resources by and for the data annotators who label the material AI systems learn from.

Why I recommend it: Written by the workers themselves, not about them.

#ai#ai ethics#data-labeling#free#human-rights#labor#mental-health#research#tech-ethics#technology#workers
data-workers.orgAdded Sep 16, 20260 opens
FreeOrganization
Technology & Ethics

Friends of the Congo

An advocacy organization working on the human cost of mineral extraction that supplies the global electronics and AI supply chain.

Why I recommend it: The hardware behind AI starts in mines — this is the part of the story most coverage skips.

#advocacy#ai#ai ethics#free#human-rights#labor#minerals#research#supply-chain#tech-ethics#technology
friendsofthecongo.orgAdded Sep 16, 20260 opens
FreeOrganization
Technology & Ethics

Refugee Law Lab

A research group studying how technology is used in refugee and immigration systems, and the legal consequences.

Why I recommend it: Rigorous legal research on automated decisions in immigration.

#ai#ai ethics#borders#free#governance#human-rights#legal#migration#regulation#research#tech-ethics#technology
refugeelab.caAdded Sep 16, 20260 opens
FreeArticle
Technology & Ethics

Building LLMs? Think Beyond Borders

Analysis based on interviews with 56 experts across 24 countries on how AI language models are used differently in the Global South and the human rights risks that follow.

Why I recommend it: A rare look at AI harms and benefits outside the US and Europe.

#ai#ai ethics#ai-ethics#ai-policy#article#global-south#human-rights#llm#regulation#research
techpolicy.pressAdded Sep 13, 20260 opens
FreeArticle
Technology & Ethics

Amnesty International: the data pipelines behind generative AI

Report on how the datasets powering major AI systems depend on mass invasions of privacy by design.

Why I recommend it: Read this before you paste sensitive personal or client data into an AI tool.

#accountability#ai#ai ethics#ai-ethics#article#data#data-privacy#free#generative-ai#human-rights#privacy#reading#research#tech-ethics#technology
amnesty.orgAdded Aug 30, 20260 opens
FreePodcastPodcast
Technology & Ethics

Technology Freedom Cooperative: Infrastructure for Human Rights and Justice Groups

Podcast interview with Maheen Khan (Invisible Institute) and Patrick Ball (HRDAG) on a coalition helping nonprofits protect evidence, cut big-tech dependence, and build independent AI capacity.

Why I recommend it: A concrete example of mission-driven tech work — good listening if you want your technical skills pointed at justice organizations.

#ai ethics#data-protection#digital-security#free#hrdag#human-rights#independent-ai#invisible-institute#nonprofit#nonprofit-tech#podcast#research#social-impact#tech-ethics#technology
techpolicy.pressAdded Aug 30, 20260 opens