Big tech is harming our human rights and safety | Pat de Brún

Pat is a human rights lawyer and researcher who is currently the Head of Big Tech Accountability for Amnesty International and Deputy Director of Amnesty’s Technology and Human Rights Programme. He led their recent research that revealed how Elon Musk’s X created a ‘staggering amplification of hate’ during the 2024 riots in England.Pat has led several high-profile investigations, including Facebook’s role in the persecution of the Rohingya people in Myanmar and Big Tech’s role in silencing human rights activists in Vietnam.He has also led several research projects on LGBTIQ rights in Cambodia, including research on trans people’s lived experiences of discrimination in urban centres, and a study on marriage equality and gender recognition rights.Timestamps:(00:00:00) – Preview(00:03:50) – Amnesty International's strict independence and history(00:07:48) – Amnesty's Tech key investigation priorities for the past decade(00:11:38) – Modern tech's aggressive data grab impact on human rights(00:18:37) – How governments of all parties failed to protect us from big tech(00:24:01) – How can the general public pressure governments to force change(00:28:05) – Tech is not the problem. It's the shareholders!(00:32:14) – Why are political leaders of all parties still blindsided by technology?(00:41:17) – The role Elon Musk's X (Twitter) played in inciting the 2024 UK riots(00:47:44) – Do negative behaviours on social media constitute free speech?(00:54:59) – Can users get prosecuted for spreading dangerous content on social media?(00:57:27) – Is this an exclusively X/Twitter problem, or is this a wider social media problem?(01:02:48) – Mainstream media's failure in fully scrutinising tech's accountability(01:12:47) – Pat's remarkable journey that led him to his current leadership at AmnestyEpisode Notes & Citations:⁠https://ceoretort.com/podcast/guest/2025/08/18/pat-de-brun-big-tech-is-harming-our-human-rights-and-safetySupport our independence by becoming a member:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://CEORetort.com/Support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out our new YouTube channel, The CEO Retort Extra: ⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/@ceoretortextra⁠⁠⁠⁠Sponsors & Offers:Brain.fm – Peak your productivity on demand with Neuromusic. Get an extended 30-day free trial without limits. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠Brain.fm/CEOR⁠⁠⁠⁠Ground News – See how media bias affects news coverage. Get 40% off top tier: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://check.ground.news/CEORetort⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Saily eSIM – Stay connected worldwide. Use code CEORetort5 for 5% off 10GB & 20GB plans: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ceoretort.com/saily⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠NordVPN – Secure your browsing. CEO Retort community offer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://nordvpn.com/ceoretort⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nebuli ( @Nebuli-AI ) Innovation-as-a-Service: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://nebuli.com/innovate/start⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to The CEO Retort:YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@CEORetort⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ceo-retort/id1767132889⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5ytJdrSK0yGL2OZfTitnp8⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect with Tim El-Sheikh:LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/timelsheikh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠