- Target:
- Professional Services Council, the Information Technology Industry Council e.a.
- Region:
- GLOBAL
A news story peaked my interest today. Tech giant IBM has written an open letter to Donald Trump, offering its tech services. You can find the letter here:
http://www.cnbc.com/2016/11/15/ibm-ceo-rometty-in-letter-to-trump-help-secure-new-collar-it-jobs.html
Most of the actual proposals in the letter are benevolent. Yet, IBM offers its extensive data intelligence services to a President-Elect who is contemplating creating a national register of Muslims. It does not explicitly say it will not cooperate on such an initiative.
In IBM's case particularly this has a disturbing connotation, as it onc3 was instrumental in identifying, registering and cataloguing Jewish citizens from 1933 throughout WWII. This has been meticulously documented in Edwin Black's book, see here: http://www.ibmandtheholocaust.com/
This petition asks you to hold IBM and all other tech providers accountable in NOT enabling the creation of a national register of any particular group and to NOT sell their technology to enable racial profiling of any sort.
It asks journalists to investigate and monitor any developments in this space and report on them so that the public may know what’s going on.
Global tech companies are powerful players and can help solve many problems. They should take a stand and publicly denounce an initiative which targets a particular religious or ethnic group. They should refuse to tender for Government services if their technology is used in this way.
Please sign this petition and help build global pressure on technology providers to act ethically.
The petition will be delivered to the PSC, which is the peak body of service providers to government.
To technology industry leaders
In view of IBM’s recent letter to the President-Elect, offering its technology services to Government and the new Government's publicised plans to create a register of Muslim immigrants:
We, the undersigned, ask IBM and all other technology providers for the following:
1. That you or your subsidiaries will not offer or cease to offer your services to the United States Government if it actively pursues its intent to create a national register of Muslims.
2. That, if you do win any government contract, you will insist on including a condition that explicitly states that you or your subsidiaries will only offer your services if the technology is not used to identify, register or catalogue any particular religious or ethnic group.
3. That you publish an explicit statement to the public to confirm the above.
You hold a great deal of power in today’s world. Technology can help address many of today’s problems. We ask you to use this power with conscience.
Yours in hope
The undersigned
The Hold Global Technology Companies Accountable - NO Muslim Register petition to Professional Services Council, the Information Technology Industry Council e.a. was written by Bee Rojahn and is in the category Human Rights at GoPetition.