PRESS RELASE
4 July 2013
After Apple, Google, Microsoft, Verizon and Yahoo! are
accused of violating customers’ privacy, Vigeo reviews
its rating on the Human Rights performance of the
companies involved
Vigeo warns its clients on the reputational and legal risks these allegations represent for
the accused companies
Press sources reported, in June 2013, that Apple, AOL, Dropbox, Facebook, Google, Microsoft,
PalTalk, Skype (Microsoft), Twitter, Yahoo! and YouTube (Google) are accused of allowing
intelligence services to access their servers to retrieve data about users, through a monitoring
programme (PRISM) endorsed by the Obama administration.
Verizon was also accused of revealing customers’ records to the National Security Agency (NSA),
under a top secret court order. The information includes the location, date and duration of the
national and international calls, as well as the telephone numbers that were involved. The
agency has no knowledge about the content of conversations.
All over the world, companies in the Information & Communications Technology (ICT) sector
face increasing government pressure to comply with domestic laws and policies in ways that
may conflict with the internationally recognized human rights of freedom of expression
and data privacy.
In the last decade, ICTs, have opened new channels for free flow of ideas and opinions, thereby
promoting democracy and human rights. In fact, freedom of expression can be observed also
using internet and other telecom services. Companies’ involvement into ensuring the respect of
this right is crucial.
But also the extent to which a company protects customers’ private data (data privacy), in
addition to informing them of their rights and the companies’ own legal obligations in terms of
providing information to legal authorities is becoming increasingly important. It is one of the
main responsibilities from companies to ensure that the privacy of data exchanged in
their networks is ensured.
The issue of privacy breach is analysed in Vigeo’s rating framework within the Human Rights
domain under the “Respect for human rights standards and prevention of violations”
sustainability driver. Vigeo analysed the management systems of the companies involved
according to the relevance of their policies, the coherence and efficiency of implementation and
the effectiveness of results.
Given the importance of the accusations of privacy breaches, the recurrence of such events
for the company’s concerned, and the apparently insufficient due diligence measures
implemented to prevent violations of the right to privacy, all the company’s scores in the
Human Rights sustainability driver have been downgraded by Vigeo. Also Vigeo’s assurance
on the companies’ ability to adequately manage the risk factors linked to their reputational
assets and to protect their legal security is lowered.
1
Indeed, human rights violations, including violations of privacy of data, represent a
reputation risk, given the strong media attention. Privacy breach cases can also expose the
company to legal action, damage claims and fines. On the other hand, companies that adopt
explicit and appropriate human rights principles and goals along with mechanisms for their
implementation and reporting are better prepared to prevent human rights abuses and to deal
effectively with allegations of wrongdoing that may arise.
Fouad Benseddik, Director of Methods and Institutional Relations, notes “This serious case
shows that the corporate responsibility of preventing the violation of human rights and the
privacy rights of company’s customers does not arise only in authoritarian regimes, but also in
democratic countries. Companies must respect “the right to know” of their customers and at
least inform them in a clear and intelligible way that their communications can be observed and
monitored by public authorities”.
For further information, please contact :
PARIS
Anita LEGRAND (FR/EN)
+33(0)1 55.82.32.44
anita.legrand@vigeo.com
BRUSSELS
Jordi LESAFFER (FR/NL)
+32.2.206.11.17
jordi.lesaffer@vigeo.com
CASABLANCA
Zineb BELYMAM (FR)
+212.522.87.14.77
zineb.belymam@vigeo.com
LONDON
Lindsay SMART (EN)
+44 (0) 203.402.6401
lindsay.smart@vigeo.com
MILAN
Simonetta BONO (IT)
+39 02 27 72 71 40
simonetta.bono@vigeo.com
TOKYO
Robert VERDIER (JA/EN/FR)
+81 3 5721 6159
robert.verdier@vigeo.com
About Vigeo
Vigeo is the leading European expert in responsible performance. Founded in 2002 and headed by Nicole Notat,
Vigeo measures the performances and risks of more than 2000 companies, local and countries in the word with
regard to six areas of corporate social responsibility: environment, human rights, human ressources, business
behavior and corporate governance.
Vigeo offers two lines of services through two business brands:
-
Vigeo rating –the way to responsible investment- offers a broad range of products and services to investors
seeking a sustainable and responsible performance of their investments ;
Vigeo enterprise –the way to responsible management- conducts global CSR audits and benchmarks in
organizations of all sizes, public and private, support teams and integrate CSR/SRI criteria into business
functions and strategic operations.
Vigeo rating’s research meets high quality standards and is externally certified to the Arista standard.
Vigeo is present in Paris, Casablanca, Brussels, Milan, London and Tokyo and has more than a hundred employees.
www.vigeo.com
2