Most people do not think of Silicon Valley as a battleground for human rights issues. That’s exactly what Access was hoping to change by organizing RightsCon— a conference that brought together Silicon Valley companies like Facebook, Twitter, and Google with human rights advocates from around the world.

Technology companies are finding themselves at the forefront of complex human rights issues. Their services are increasingly being used by revolutionaries, protesters and human rights groups in nearly every country. Caught between trying to protect their users and complying with a growing number of mandates from local governments, Silicon Valley finds itself in a unique position wherein companies are inadvertently shaping global human rights policy.