DRAPAC Series: Human Rights Responsibilities and Challenges for Tech Companies Operating in Authoritarian Countries

Across the Asia region, an explosion in internet use in recent decades has coincided with a rise in authoritarianism in several countries. Many global tech companies have enthusiastically pursued users in Asian markets, often without careful assessment of the human rights challenges involved when operating under authoritarian regimes. In some countries, tech companies face legal and policy demands to cooperate directly in human rights abuses.