Shareholders in Thomson Reuters have demanded that the company's board investigate whether its products have contributed to human rights violations, particularly concerning the sale of personal data to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The shareholders, led by the B.C. General Employees' Union (BCGEU), cited multiple investigations that showed Thomson Reuters' CLEAR investigative database is integrated with tools ICE uses for targeting neighborhoods. This move is part of increasing pressure on the company over its contracts with ICE and the Department of Homeland Security, following an internal protest by over 200 employees who expressed concerns about these contracts. A lawsuit has also been filed by a former Thomson Reuters employee who claims she was illegally fired for raising concerns about how her company's technology was being used by U.S. immigration authorities.
The shareholder proposal specifically calls for an independent human rights impact assessment to evaluate the extent to which Thomson Reuters' products may contribute to adverse human rights impacts when used by law enforcement agencies, especially when combined with other surveillance technologies. The BCGEU emphasized that this is pragmatic investor due diligence and responsible stewardship of capital. The proposal also points to the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, which Thomson Reuters states it endorses. ICE's immigration enforcement activities are reportedly the subject of multiple lawsuits citing credible reports of unlawful detentions, due process violations, and surveillance of citizens. Thomson Reuters has stated that it has completed its second human rights saliency and impact assessment and plans to publish key findings later this year.