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Technology and Society - Ford Foundation
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Ford Foundation's Technology and Society program funds civil society organizations working on digital equity, rights, and governance — relevant to AI safety insofar as it addresses equitable AI deployment, democratic oversight of technology, and protecting marginalized communities from algorithmic harms.
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Summary
This page describes the Ford Foundation's Technology and Society grantmaking program, which focuses on ensuring digital technologies advance equity, privacy, free expression, and civil rights. The program supports technically sophisticated civil society organizations and social justice groups to shape technology governance. It frames technology governance as central to addressing systemic inequality.
Key Points
- •Ford Foundation believes digital technology governance is implicated in nearly all drivers of inequality, requiring equitable regulation and access.
- •The program prioritizes protecting civil and human rights as technological change outpaces democratic oversight and public understanding.
- •Funding supports diverse, technically sophisticated organizations advancing equitable digital spaces and inclusive systems.
- •The program also builds technological capacity within social justice organizations to strengthen their advocacy impact.
- •Recent work includes tribal digital sovereignty, international digital rights, and feminist internet advocacy.
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Technology and Society - Ford Foundation
Technology and Society
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Digital communications technologies have transformed how we connect and engage with the world around us, creating opportunities in every area of contemporary life. But as often as these technologies are used to foster learning and promote justice, they have also been used in ways that amplify inequality. Too many people—particularly those who have historically been excluded or marginalized—aren’t able to access, benefit from, or influence digital platforms. The governance and use of technology are implicated in nearly all the drivers of inequality , underscoring the extent of this problem.
We believe in equal access to, and fair regulation of, digital technology that is designed to advance transparency, privacy, access to knowledge, and free expression for all people. As the speed of global technological change and innovation outpaces public understanding and democratic checks—and as technology continues to reshape relationships between citizens, governments, civil society organizations, and corporations—our work focuses on protecting civil and human rights and freedom of expression.
To ensure that technology develops to meet the needs of the public, we support the growth of technically sophisticated, diverse organizations dedicated to advancing equitable and more inclusive digital spaces and systems. And we seek to develop the technological capacity of social justice organizations, key to strengthening the impact of their vital work in today’s environment.
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