Yahoo! was founded on the principle that promoting access to information can fundamentally improve people's lives and enhance their relationship with the world around them.

Global Network Initiative

American companies doing business in countries that unfairly restrict privacy and free expression confront numerous challenges, and Yahoo! is dedicated to helping find solutions to them. Yahoo! is proud to be a founding member of the Global Network Initiative: Protecting and Advancing Freedom of Expression and Privacy in the Information and Communication Technology Industry (GNI). This Initiative is the result of over two years of collaborative work among an international group of information and communications technology (ICT) companies, human rights organizations, academics, investors and technology leaders. It will help guide ICT companies in protecting and advancing freedom of expression and privacy across the globe when they encounter laws and policies that interfere with these fundamental human rights.

We and others have much work to do, and we believe these are important first steps in ensuring our actions match our values around the world.

- Yahoo! VP and Deputy General Counsel Michael Samway appears on C-Span's Communicators Program to discuss Yahoo! corporate efforts to protect and promote freedom of expression and privacy and the Global Network Initiative
- Yahoo! participates in GNI's inaugural panel at the International Seminar on Business and Human Rights commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
- Yahoo! Launches Initiative to Protect Free Expression and Privacy for Internet Users: Global Network Initiative Marks Collective Step By Companies, Human Rights Groups and Others to Challenge Censorship and Threats to Privacy.
- Blog post by Michael Samway on latest progress on the Global Code of Conduct.
- Blog post by Michael Samway regarding the Global Code of Conduct, the Yahoo! Human Rights Fund and other initiatives.
- Blog post Jerry Yang blog on the launch of the Global Network Initiative and Yahoo!’s role in this landmark effort.

Business Policies and Practices

Recognizing that Yahoo!'s business, products, technology and operating footprint increasingly intersect with human rights issues around the world, the company has launched a Business & Human Rights Program. This program brings together a core team of professionals across the company, including Public Policy, Law Enforcement, Ethics & Compliance, International Legal, Public Affairs, Privacy, Paranoids, IT, Yahoo! For Good, and the Operations teams, among others, to integrate human rights decision-making into all of our business operations.

- Yahoo! Supports The Elders' "Every Human Has Rights" Campaign - Grassroots Drive Launched to Commemorate 60th Anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- Blog post by Michael Samway on launch of BHR program.
- Yahoo!’s New Business & Human Rights Program featured in special corporate social responsibility (CSR) advertorial section of Business Week www.businessweek.com/adsections

Yahoo! Human Rights Fund

We believe in the Internet's transformative power and we are deeply committed to supporting freedom of expression and privacy around the world. Yahoo! recently established a human rights fund to provide humanitarian and legal support to political dissidents who have been imprisoned for expressing their views online, as well as their families.

- Fund and Settlement Press Release
- Fund Announcement on Harry Wu's Laogai Research Foundation web site

Engaging with Government Officials and Congress to Find Solutions, Release Dissidents

Yahoo! has been and will continue working to secure the release of certain political dissidents through ongoing discussions with high-ranking U.S. and Chinese officials, congressional leaders, human rights groups, and the State Department. In February, Jerry Yang also sent a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urging the Bush Administration to use its diplomatic influence to actively pursue the release of Chinese dissidents imprisoned for exercising their right of free expression.

- Blog post by Michael Samway regarding State Department's GIFT Program
- Congressional Hearing Blog post by Jerry Yang on November 6, 2007
- Letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice - Full copy of the letter to Condoleezza Rice
- Blog post by Michael Samway regarding the letter
- Blog post by Michael Samway regarding Yahoo! testimony before Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Human Rights

Global Values Fellowships

Yahoo! has established international fellowships at Stanford and Georgetown Universities to promote the pursuits of journalists from press-restrictive countries and scholars exploring the link between global values and the Internet, and communication technologies.

- Blog post by Jim Bettinger, Director, John S. Knight Fellowship for Professional Journalists, Stanford University.
- Blog post by Michael Samway regarding fellowships.
- Blog post - Jerry blog regarding first Yahoo! fellow at Georgetown University
- Press release announcing Stanford fellowship
- Press release on First Yahoo! Fellow At Georgetown Discusses Research on Internet and Politics