Questionable impact of ‘technology for good’ initiatives

Companies are proud of their initiatives, which include providing free connectivity for schools, or discounted services to underserved communities. Unfortunately many of these initiatives are one-off projects – especially those introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, only 12 out of the 150 companies assessed published an impact assessment for one or more of their initiatives. This number suggests that companies aren’t serious about their ‘technology for good’ efforts. Impact assessments can mitigate the risk of impact washing and provide a roadmap for companies to support digital inclusion.