Tech For Good

It was French President Emmanuel Macron who initiated the Tech for Good Summit back in 2018, just ahead of the Viva Technology expo, an annual event in Paris that attracts the biggest names in the world of tech. The Tech for Good Summit sought to bring together 50 CEOs from the most powerful tech companies in the world to discuss the many challenges in the industry, and how it could better serve the world. This being 2020, however, not only was Viva Technology cancelled this year, so was the Tech for Good Summit, which meant no major get togethers for the leaders of tech companies.

That said, the lack of a formal event didn’t stop dozens of tech CEOs from signing a common pledge. The pledge recognizes that for all the potential good tech can bring to the world, not all is well within the industry, and the issues it faces need to be addressed.

“Recognizing that such progress may be hindered by negative externalities, including unfair competition such as abuse of dominant or systemic position, and fragmentation of the internet; that, without appropriate safeguards, technology can also be used to threaten fundamental freedoms and human rights or weaken democracy; that, unless we implement appropriate measures to combat it, some individuals and organizations inevitably use it for criminal purposes, including in the context of conflicts,” the pledge says.

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