Business can impact on the right to privacy in a number of ways, for example, through the provision of technology that may be used to aid the invasion of privacy, through the requesting of confidential and private information during employee recruitment and selection processes, or by providing private information to authorities that is later used to support violations such as arbitrary arrest and detention. The communications sectors, including internet service providers, are at particular risk of direct complicity in violations of privacy and freedom of speech. Several prominent internet search engines, for example, have been implicated in providing governments with details about internet users. Companies are also frequently involved in collecting large amounts of personal data on employees and customers, which requires assurances of confidentiality of such information.

The following example was identified through background research:

• According to the South Korean National Human Rights Commission, 51.3% of 204 workers surveyed said they have been monitored by some kind of camera or electronic gadget at their companies. However, only 24.2% said they had been consulted before such systems were installed.

How does a company avoid complicity in violation of the right to privacy when supplying a government with equipment or technology that may be misused to restrict this freedom?

The following have been identified as possible components of this dilemma:

• Alleged complicity in violations by private or public security forces
• Laws restricting freedom of speech and the press
• Monitoring of media institutions
• Monitoring of private correspondence
• Product misuse