Why serious human rights risks remain in ICT sector supply chains

Felicitas Weber, Know the Chain project director at the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, outlines to Ian Welsh the results of the new Know the Chain benchmarking of technology sector companies.

They discuss the specific risks that ICT companies should be aware of, and geographical concerns – Malaysia, China, the Philippines and Thailand are countries that Weber highlights. Debt bondage, recruitment fees, long working hours, exploitation of migrant workers and other vulnerable groups, and a lack of grievance mechanisms and freedom of association are all too common in the sector.