When we first began the Me2B Alliance, our central thesis was that technology was unknowable by everyday people. And we held, perhaps, a tacit corollary that industry abused and exploited the natural opacity and unknowability of technology. What we’ve learned, however, over the course of creating our yardstick to measure the behavior of technology, and applying that yardstick to websites and apps, is that there is an appreciable amount of “unknowability” on the part of technology makers as well.

This session will share the results and learnings of the creation and development of an ethical “yardstick” for respectful technology, including its application to websites and mobile apps. The speakers will also explore learnings from everyday people in the validation research around the certification mark as well as share recommendations for tech makers.

There currently isn’t an adequate vocabulary to describe people’s experiences in the digital world, which impedes understanding and conversations around what’s actually happening, and what harms are lurking. The Me2B Alliance has developed a set of terms to help bridge this gap. Central to the vocabulary is the concept of Me2B Relationships, which are the relationships people (Me’s) have with purveyors of products or services (B’s), and the concept of Me2B Deals, which are exchanges of value between a person (Me’s) and a business (“B”).