The 2022 Telco Giants Scorecard
Ranking Digital Rights evaluates and ranks 12 of the world’s most powerful telecommunications companies on their policies and practices affecting people’s rights to freedom of expression and privacy.
Telcos Deserve More Scrutiny on Digital Rights
Our inaugural Telco Giants Scorecard reveals that telecom companies, despite being gatekeepers of the internet for most of the world, are less transparent overall and more susceptible to government demands than their Big Tech peers. It’s time to renew our scrutiny of these companies and hold them accountable for respecting our rights online.
Explore RDR’s Data!
Which telcos commit to human rights? Who discloses the most about their compliance with network shutdown orders? How many companies respect net neutrality and disavow zero rating? Drill down into more than 300 aspects of company policies to answer questions like these in our interactive Data Explorer.
Visit the Data ExplorerKey Findings
Most companies improved scores in at least one area, and many made significant improvements in the past year. Yet companies still fell short.
Are Telcos Getting a Pass on Digital Rights?
On December 7, RDR brought together a panel of digital rights experts and advocates to consider whether civil society, as well as the media and the public, have been neglecting the impact of telecommunication companies on digital rights. Though telcos often wield more power than Big Tech, they seldom grab the same kinds of headlines for the harms they perpetuate. To answer this question, the panel discussed RDR's findings from the Telco Giants Scorecard, looking at where telcos are failing to protect digital rights and considering how they can improve.