Emerging Business and Human Rights Standards: Internet Service Providers and Censorship Demands

Over the past several decades, the world has seen a dramatic growth in the activities of global businesses and multinational corporations. While this expansion has led to an increase in the availability of goods and services around the world, with it has also come more occurrences of human rights violations often at the hands or behest of corporations. Yet the role of businesses in human rights also often involves corporate complicity when countries violate human rights. Many of these violations have been clearly brought to the public's attention, such as the use of sweatshops in developing countries. There is no question that as corporations play a greater role in our society, the possibility they have for both advancement and human rights abuse have the potential to increase hand-in-hand. However, there has been great debate over the accountability that corporations should have if and when they violate human rights.