About the data
The WBA Digital Inclusion Benchmark measures and ranks the world's most influential companies on their efforts to advance digital inclusion, tracking how companies are expanding access to digital technologies, improving digital skills and literacy, and ensuring safe and inclusive digital environments for all. The 2026 edition assessed 200 companies across key sectors of the digital economy including telecommunications, software, hardware, and digital platforms. The benchmark is developed in close collaboration with an Expert Review Committee and partners including GRI, ITU, and the Alliance for Affordable Internet, with a methodology designed to incentivise companies to understand where digital exclusion risks are highest and act to bridge the digital divide, while keeping human rights and social impacts at its core.
More information can be found here.
More information can be found here.
Methodology
The emergence of frontier technologies, particularly AI, has immense potential for solving some of the world's greatest challenges, but it also presents many risks. These include reducing the need for human intervention, threatening job security, posing dangers to privacy and enhancing potential for discrimination.
AI can play an important role in achieving the SDGs. But it also carries huge human rights and other risks that can cause serious harms if it is developed without careful scrutiny, transparency and commitment to responsible principles. In 2023, 28% of ICT firms used AI, higher than any other sector.xxvi Holding digital technology companies accountable for the way they develop and use AI has become more critical than ever.
Research Guidance:
The company publicly discloses its own AI principles that apply at the group level. AI principles must be developed by the company itself, not adopted from or limited to international or regional frameworks. The disclosure must clearly state the company‚s guiding principles for the ethical development, use, or deployment of AI technologies. Accepted formats include a standalone document, AI principles webpage, or relevant company policy document such as a human rights or data privacy policy; annual or sustainability reports do not qualify.
AI can play an important role in achieving the SDGs. But it also carries huge human rights and other risks that can cause serious harms if it is developed without careful scrutiny, transparency and commitment to responsible principles. In 2023, 28% of ICT firms used AI, higher than any other sector.xxvi Holding digital technology companies accountable for the way they develop and use AI has become more critical than ever.
Research Guidance:
The company publicly discloses its own AI principles that apply at the group level. AI principles must be developed by the company itself, not adopted from or limited to international or regional frameworks. The disclosure must clearly state the company‚s guiding principles for the ethical development, use, or deployment of AI technologies. Accepted formats include a standalone document, AI principles webpage, or relevant company policy document such as a human rights or data privacy policy; annual or sustainability reports do not qualify.
License
Topics
Framework Mappings
Value Type
Category
Options
Yes
No
Not Applicable
Assessment
Steward Assessed
Report Type
Aggregate Data Report