U.S. - EU Recommended Actions for Online Platforms on Protecting Human Rights Defenders Online

The European Union and the United States have released joint guidance for online platforms, setting out 10 practical steps platforms can take globally to prevent, mitigate, and provide remedy for attacks targeting human rights defenders (HRDs) online. Recommended Actions for Online Platforms to Improve Human Rights Defender Protection: 

1. Commit to an HRD Protection Policy
2. Identify Risks to HRDs
3. Exchange Information with HRDs, CSOs, and Industry Peers
4. Create a Policy Implementation Plan to Mitigate Risk and Prevent Adverse Impacts with Monitoring Benchmarks to Measure Success
5. Resource and Staff HRD Protection Efforts
6. Build Capacity to Address Risks in Local Contexts
7. Provide Safety Tools and Security Education to HRDs
8. Create and Maintain Accessible Incident Reporting Channels for HRDs 
9. Contribute to and Provide Access to Remedy for HRDs
10.  Commit to Transparency, Public Reporting, and Continuous Improvement