Effective Engagement with Technology Companies

May 23, 2024

Lindsey Andersen

Associate Director, Human Rights, BSR

Lindsey Andersen

Associate Director, Human Rights, BSR

San Francisco

Lindsey works at the intersection of technology and human rights, helping both tech and non-tech companies identify and address human rights impacts associated with the development and use of technology and effectively incorporate business and human rights practices. Her focus areas include content governance, end-use risks of tech products and services, and the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies.

Prior to joining BSR, Lindsey worked with digital rights organization Access Now to drive the conversation on the human rights implications of AI. As part of this, she wrote the foundational report Human Rights in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. Lindsey previously worked at Internews, implementing a large portfolio of internet freedom projects across Latin America, which focused on equipping journalists and human rights defenders with digital security skills and defending the free and open internet. Lindsey has worked and lived across Latin America and is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese.

Lindsey holds a Master’s in Public and International Affairs from Princeton University and a BA in Political Science and International Studies from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Dunstan Allison-Hope

Senior Advisor, BSR

Dunstan Allison-Hope

Senior Advisor, BSR

San Francisco

Dunstan leads BSR’s work at the intersection of technology and human rights.

Previously, Dunstan led BSR’s information and communications technology, heavy manufacturing, and human rights teams.

He brings significant experience working on a diverse range of engagements and issues, including human rights due diligence, privacy and freedom of expression, sustainability reporting and strategy, and stakeholder engagement.

Dunstan facilitated the multistakeholder process of developing global principles on freedom of expression and privacy, which led to the launch of the Global Network Initiative in October 2008. He also helped create the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition, a collaborative initiative of more than 100 ICT companies improving conditions in their supply chains. Dunstan participated in the process of creating the Global Reporting Initiative G3 guidelines, and he is a regular commentator on issues of corporate accountability, reporting, and human rights. He also co-authored the 2010 book Big Business, Big Responsibilities.

Prior to joining BSR in 2004, Dunstan was part of British Telecommunications' corporate responsibility team.

Dunstan has an M.Prof. in Sustainable Development from Forum for the Future.

Civil society has long sought to influence the policies and practices of technology companies in order to address adverse impacts on people and society and advocate for user rights. Technology companies, on the other hand, should engage with affected stakeholders as part of their responsibilities under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs, PDF). Stakeholder engagement is also increasingly required as part of compliance with emerging regulation, such as the EU Digital Services Act (DSA).

Achieving meaningful stakeholder engagement in the technology industry benefits both civil society and companies. However, both civil society and technology companies face challenges in engaging effectively.

BSR’s new guide, funded by the Omidyar Network, is a practical resource for anyone seeking to engage with global technology companies on digital rights issues related to the development, deployment, and use of their products and services. The guide includes the following sections:

Key terms, including the definition of “effective engagement”
How technology companies conduct stakeholder engagement
Common characteristics of effective civil society-company engagement, as well as the barriers to achieving it
Practical tips and best practices

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