Perspective: manufacturers should be liable when computer bugs leave consumers in the lurch

Auto makers are responsible for the safety and reliability of their cars. So why shouldn't software makers be held responsible for buggy computer programs?Computers ; Consumer protection

ICT policies relating to privacy, freedom of expression and access to information : a briefing paper

Meeting: International Workshop on the Nexus between ICTs and Human Rights in Africa, 2-4 April, 2009, Kampala, UGICTs have made access to information and freedom of expression easier for those with less resources, and expanded the capacity for mass distribution of information. At the same time, ICTs allow for automated censorship and pose new threats to privacy. This document is a brief primer on some key issues in Africa in areas of privacy, freedom of expression and access to information, and how they relate to ICT policy. The digital divide is a significant problem in many African countries, limiting access to information. The document was prepared for the International Workshop on ‘The Nexus Between ICTs and Human Rights in Africa.

Leaks, legislation and freedom of speech: how can the law effectively promote public interest whistleblowing

In this article we outline the differences between leaking and whistleblowing, and provide possible justifications for leaking. We argue that, as a matter of principle, leaking information outside an organization will normally not further any public interest and should only be used as a last resort where problems have not been resolved internally. As uncontrolled leaking may be hazardous, we believe that the opportunity to blow the whistle in accordance with structured procedures offers a more satisfactory mechanism for exposing financial and other forms of wrongdoing (Carr and Lewis 2010). Next we describe how freedom of speech, whistleblowing legislation and internal reporting procedures provide alternatives to leaking and explain how they all operate unsatisfactorily in certain respects. In our analysis we refer to international conventions and the laws of four countries (USA, UK, France and Germany) that we consider representative of the different approaches to the treatment of whistleblowers. In conclusion, we suggest that regimes which are aimed at encouraging public interest disclosures through organizational insiders need improvement. Without this, unauthorized leaking could be tolerable in certain situations. Finally, we observe that public interest disclosure regimes need to take the human right dimension into accoun

The uncertain relationship between transparency and accountability

The concepts of transparency and accountability are closely linked: transparency is supposed to generate accountability. This article questions this widely held assumption. Transparency mobilises the power of shame, yet the shameless may not be vulnerable to public exposure. Truth often fails to lead to justice. After exploring different definitions and dimensions of the two ideas, the more relevant question turns out tobe: what kinds of transparency lead to what kinds of accountability, and under what conditions? The article concludes by proposing that the concept can be unpacked in terms of two distinct variants. Transparency can be either ‘clear’or‘opaque’, while accountability can be either‘soft’or‘hard’