Topics
Topics represent areas of ethical concern. Each topic has an editorial stance that defines whether supporting it is generally considered positive, negative, or neutral.
corporate
Authoritarian Compliance
Support = BadSells surveillance tech to authoritarian regimes; complies with censorship demands; stores data for government access; operates in regions with severe human rights abuses; enables oppression; provides tools used against dissidents
Climate Action
Support = GoodCommits to emissions reduction; renewable energy; climate targets; carbon neutrality
Consumer Protection
Support = GoodStrong consumer safety standards; transparent practices; responsive to product issues; prioritizes user safety over profits; proactive recalls when needed
Corporate Governance
Support = GoodTransparent governance; independent board; shareholder rights; ethical leadership
Corporate Transparency
Support = GoodPublishes comprehensive sustainability and impact reports; discloses emissions data and environmental footprint; transparent about supply chain practices; honest reporting of metrics and outcomes; participates in third-party audits and ratings; corrects misinformation about company practices
Deceptive Lobbying
Support = BadMakes misleading public arguments to influence policy; public positions contradict private actions or intentions; claims regulation will force certain outcomes while privately pursuing those outcomes anyway; uses bad faith arguments in regulatory debates; misrepresents facts to policymakers
DEI Programs
Support = GoodMaintains or expands diversity, equity, and inclusion programs; diverse hiring practices; inclusive workplace policies
Environmental Sustainability
Support = GoodSustainable practices; waste reduction; circular economy; environmental stewardship
Executive Compensation
Support = GoodReasonable executive pay ratios; aligned with company performance; transparent
Gig Worker Rights
Support = GoodSupports gig worker benefits; fair pay; transparent algorithms; path to employment; doesn't fight classification
Military & Defense Contracts
Support = BadPursues military AI contracts; builds weapons systems; drone warfare technology; defense department partnerships
Regulatory Capture
Support = BadSuccessfully lobbies to gut or weaken oversight; uses political influence to remove regulatory safeguards; places industry insiders in regulatory positions; co-opts regulatory processes for private benefit; undermines regulatory independence; weakens enforcement mechanisms
Revolving Door
Support = BadHires former regulators to lobby their previous agencies; executives move between company and regulatory roles; uses insider government connections for policy influence; ignores cooling-off periods; former officials immediately lobby ex-colleagues
Supply Chain Ethics
Support = GoodAudits supply chain for labor abuses; avoids conflict minerals; fair supplier practices; transparency reports; living wages in supply chain
Tax Practices
Support = GoodPays fair share of taxes; transparent tax reporting; avoids aggressive avoidance schemes
Tech Worker Organizing
Support = GoodSupports tech worker unions; allows organizing; recognizes unions
Undisclosed Conflicts
Support = BadLobbies or advocates policy positions without disclosing financial interests; hidden stakes in outcomes being advocated; executives have undisclosed personal financial interests in policy outcomes; violates disclosure requirements; conflicts of interest not revealed to stakeholders
Whistleblower Protection
Support = GoodProtects whistleblowers; has reporting channels; no retaliation; supports employees who report wrongdoing
Worker Rights
Support = GoodSupports unions, fair wages, worker protections, good working conditions, reasonable hours
policy
Criminal Justice Reform
Support = GoodSupports criminal justice reform; fair chance hiring; opposes prison labor exploitation; funds reform organizations; bail reform
Democratic Institutions
Support = GoodStrengthens democratic processes; respects separation of powers; supports free and fair elections; protects voting rights; upholds rule of law; defends independent judiciary and oversight bodies
Government Ethics & Anti-Corruption
Support = GoodAvoids conflicts of interest in government roles; transparent dealings with regulators; ethical lobbying practices; respects ethics rules; divests from conflicting interests; supports anti-corruption measures
Healthcare Access
Support = GoodSupports healthcare access; affordable healthcare; employee health benefits
Housing Affordability
Support = GoodSupports affordable housing; funds housing initiatives; provides employee housing assistance; doesn't displace communities
Humanitarian Aid & Global Health
Support = GoodFunds humanitarian programs; supports disaster relief; invests in global health initiatives; poverty reduction efforts; refugee assistance; food security programs; disease prevention
Immigration Openness
Support = GoodSupports immigration; H-1B visas; pathways to citizenship; welcomes immigrants
Press Freedom
Support = GoodProtects journalists and sources; supports investigative journalism; transparent with media; respects press rights; defends against SLAPP suits; promotes media independence
Public Services & Social Safety Net
Support = GoodSupports public services; strengthens social safety net programs; invests in education, healthcare, social security; protects vulnerable populations; supports disability services; adequate funding for public institutions
Reproductive Rights
Support = GoodSupports reproductive rights; provides related healthcare coverage; speaks out for access
social
Accessibility
Support = GoodDesigns for accessibility; ADA compliance; accommodates disabled employees; accessible products and services; disability inclusion
Age Inclusion
Support = GoodAge-diverse hiring practices; values experienced workers; no age bias in layoffs; mentorship programs; retraining opportunities; fights ageism in tech culture; inclusive job postings
Animal Welfare
Support = GoodHumane treatment of animals in testing and research; minimizes animal suffering; uses alternatives to animal testing where possible; transparent about animal use; follows or exceeds regulatory standards for animal care; audits supply chains for animal welfare
Child Safety
Support = GoodCOPPA compliance; robust age verification; age-appropriate design; parental controls; proactive CSAM detection and reporting; protects minors from predators; limits data collection from children; safe default settings for minors
Creator Compensation
Support = GoodFair revenue sharing with creators; transparent payment models and algorithms; supports independent creators and small artists; meaningful creator funds; protects creator income from AI replacement; provides analytics and tools for creator success; equitable platform economics
Gender Equity
Support = GoodPay equity practices; gender-balanced leadership; strong harassment policies; generous parental leave for all genders; reproductive healthcare coverage; supports women in tech initiatives; transparent pay reporting
LGBTQ+ Rights
Support = GoodSupports LGBTQ+ rights; inclusive policies; speaks out against discrimination
Mental Health
Support = GoodEmployee mental health benefits; sustainable work culture; product design that respects user wellbeing; screen time tools; addiction prevention features; research into platform mental health impacts; transparent about harms
Platform Labor Conditions
Support = GoodFair pay and working conditions for content moderators, data labelers, and AI trainers; mental health support for workers exposed to traumatic content; transparent about human labor in AI pipeline; direct employment rather than outsourcing to low-wage contractors; adequate breaks and counseling; recognizes platform workers' contribution
Racial Justice
Support = GoodSupports racial equity initiatives; addresses discrimination; diverse leadership; invests in underrepresented communities; speaks out against racism
technology
AI Oversight
Support = GoodSupports AI accountability frameworks; backs transparency requirements for AI systems; engages constructively with AI regulation; accepts third-party auditing; supports disclosure requirements; advocates for AI governance mechanisms
AI Safety
Support = GoodSupports AI regulation; invests in safety research; responsible development practices; transparency
Algorithmic Fairness
Support = GoodAudits algorithms for bias; publishes fairness metrics; addresses discriminatory outcomes; diverse training data; transparent about limitations
Antitrust & Competition
Support = GoodSupports fair competition; complies with antitrust law; open ecosystems
Content Moderation
Support = GoodResponsible content moderation; protects users from harm; transparent policies
Data Security
Support = GoodStrong security practices; protects user data; transparent breach disclosure; invests in security infrastructure; bug bounty programs
Digital Safety for Vulnerable Users
Support = GoodProtects at-risk users from digital harms; builds anti-stalkerware tools; supports domestic abuse survivors' digital safety; protects journalists and activists; provides security resources for vulnerable populations; fights spyware industry
Encryption & Privacy
Support = GoodStrong end-to-end encryption; resists backdoor demands; protects user communications; advocates for encryption rights
Human-Centered AI
Support = GoodDevelops AI that augments rather than replaces human capability; involves affected communities in AI development; prioritizes AI that serves societal needs; focuses on human-AI collaboration; transparent about AI limitations; builds AI tools that empower users
Infrastructure Accountability
Support = GoodAcknowledges public interest obligations when operating critical infrastructure; maintains service reliability for essential users; coordinates with governments on infrastructure decisions affecting public welfare; transparent governance of systems others depend on; doesn't unilaterally withdraw critical services
Intellectual Property Ethics
Support = GoodRespects intellectual property rights; obtains proper licenses for training data; fair compensation to creators; transparent about content sources; respects opt-out requests; supports creator rights in AI era
Knowledge Access & Information Freedom
Support = GoodSupports universal access to knowledge; funds open access initiatives; preserves digital heritage; opposes information enclosure; contributes to public knowledge commons; supports libraries and archives; makes research freely available
Misinformation
Support = BadAmplifies or spreads misinformation; recommender systems promote false content; profits from disinfo; resists fact-checking
Open Internet & Web Freedom
Support = GoodAdvocates for open web standards; supports net neutrality; builds interoperable systems; opposes platform lock-in; promotes decentralization; treats internet as public infrastructure; fights internet censorship and balkanization
Open Source
Support = GoodContributes to open source; open standards; interoperability; knowledge sharing
Open Source Licensing Integrity
Support = GoodMaintains open source licenses over time; respects community contributions when changing license terms; uses CLAs fairly; keeps promises about open source availability; relicenses only with community consent; provides clear licensing terms
Orbital Environment
Support = GoodMinimizes space debris creation; designs satellites for end-of-life deorbiting; coordinates orbital slots responsibly; mitigates impact on astronomical observation; supports space sustainability standards; transparent about orbital footprint
Research Integrity
Support = GoodFollows proper research protocols and timelines; prioritizes safety over speed in trials; transparent about research methodology and results; protects research subjects; maintains scientific rigor; reports adverse events promptly; allows adequate time for safety evaluation
Responsible Automation
Support = GoodManages AI-driven workforce transitions responsibly; retrains or upskills displaced workers; provides transition support and severance; transparent about AI replacing roles; gradual implementation with workforce adaptation; invests in human-AI collaboration; creates new roles alongside automation
Right to Repair
Support = GoodSupports right to repair; provides repair manuals and parts; doesn't void warranties for third-party repair; supports repair legislation
Surveillance Technology
Support = BadSells facial recognition or biometric surveillance to police/government; enables mass surveillance; builds predictive policing tools; location tracking without consent; provides surveillance infrastructure to authoritarian regimes; biased recognition systems; no safeguards on use
User Autonomy
Support = GoodRespects user agency and choice; avoids manipulative design; transparent about how systems influence behavior; gives users meaningful control; designs for user goals not engagement metrics; no dark patterns
User Privacy
Support = GoodStrong privacy protections; minimal data collection; user control; transparent data practices