Human Rights Advocacy in Silicon Valley: Civil Society’s Perceptions of Platform Accountability Efforts and Stakeholder Engagement Processes

Abstract

This research project evaluates civil society’s perceptions of human rights advocacy and stakeholder engagement within the particular context of content governance and platform accountability. It is informed by critical theories of new media and scholarship on social movements and social change. Findings reveal that, within the context of platform accountability and content governance, organized civil society advocates for human rights by applying external pressure through media coverage and by networking directly with platform companies, many of which are hiring dedicated human rights leads and establishing more robust stakeholder engagement or governance processes; corporate interests underpin both strategies, however, the individuals interviewed identified the former as the most effective. Although organized civil society is an important counterweight to corporate power, findings reveal that business interests are still a significant barrier to enacting meaningful social change. Findings also suggest that good faith by and good actors within platform companies are ultimately not enough, reinforcing the important role organized civil society plays in increasing democratic accountability, even as private corporations begin to create processes to govern themselves.