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Recent actions by Google to support free speech in Egypt have led the SRI research firm Vigeo to upgrade the company’s score on human rights issues.
Vigeo decided on the move in the wake of Google’s launch of a service that allowed Egyptians to circumvent the Mubarak government’s shutting down of the internet and to post Twitter messages without an internet connection.
The service, called ‘speak-to-tweet’, allowed users to leave telephone voice messages that were automatically converted into a text message, which was then posted on a Twitter account.
Vigeo said it considered Google’s initiative as ‘a contribution towards the promotion of freedom of expression in society ... in a country and a context where the respect of basic human rights has been seriously hindered’.
It has therefore upgraded Google’s sustainability score and informed all its investor and asset manager clients of the decision. However, it warns the company ‘will be closely monitored to assess whether the initiative taken in Egypt forms part of a broader commitment from Google to promote freedom of expression.’
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