The 2019 Ranking Digital Rights Corporate Accountability Index evaluated 24 of the world's most powerful internet, mobile and telecommunications companies on their disclosed commitments and policies affecting freedom of expression and privacy of internet users across the world.

Now in its fourth iteration, the RDR Index has continued to expand each year. Beginning in 2015, RDR evaluated 16 internet and telecommunications companies using 31 indicators. Then in 2017, RDR evaluated 22 telecommunications, internet and mobile companies using a revised methodology made up of 35 indicators. Now the fourth edition of the RDR Index has grown to include two more companies, for a total of 24, and RDR is planning to once again revise its methodology and add companies for the next edition of the ranking, scheduled for 2021. 

As a note: with the revision of Ranking Digital Rights' methodology in 2017, the 2015 scores are not easily comparable to the second, third, and fourth rankings. Additionally, in 2017, this category was renamed "Governance," whereas in 2015, it was known as, "Commitment."

The Governance category of the Index evaluates whether companies demonstrate that they have governance processes in place to ensure that they respect the human rights to freedom of expression and privacy. Both rights are part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and are enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. They apply online as well as offline. In order for a company to perform well in this section, the company’s disclosure should at least follow, and ideally surpass, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and other industry-specific human rights standards focused on freedom of expression and privacy such as the Global Network Initiative Principles.

For a list of 2015 indicators in the Commitment category and their results, see https://rankingdigitalrights.org/index2015/categories/commitment

For a list of 2017 indicators in the Governance category and their results, see https://rankingdigitalrights.org/index2017/categories/governance

For a list of 2018 indicators in the Governance category and their results, see https://rankingdigitalrights.org/index2018/categories/governance/

For a list of 2019 indicators in the Governance category and their results, see https://rankingdigitalrights.org/index2019/categories/governance/

For full results, methodology and background, see https://rankingdigitalrights.org/index2019/.