As digital technologies become increasingly central to the exercise of civil and political rights, technologists and private sector stakeholders should take steps to ensure that their products and services affirm those rights and reinforce democratic values. Technology has become critical to democratic processes and discourse. Societies rely on online networks and systems to facilitate participatory democracy, foster debate around candidates, campaigns, and policies, confront policymakers, access information about their political rights, policies and utilize government services, among others. The National Democratic Institute, in collaboration with members of the Design 4 Democracy Steering Committee, has developed this Statement of Principles in their shared commitment that technology platforms and products help build a more just and democratic world, and to bring together the concerns of the democracy community for action to these platforms.
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