At IDUN we are enabling the Internet of Humans; a world with connected cognitive and emotional intelligence to promote happiness and wellbeing. IDUN Technologies holds itself and its partners to the highest ethical standards to meet this vision.
Like any other disruptive technology that interfaces with the human body, brain-computer interfaces hold tremendous potential to improve the quality of life, but also come with potential for misuse. As entrepreneurs and researchers at the forefront of technological development, we recognize our ethical responsibility to protect the privacy and autonomy of our end-users and customers.
Our goal is to build trust and transparency with our stakeholders and to create products that have a positive impact on the world. We created this Charter as a guideline to make ethically informed decisions in an evolving regulatory space, to integrate neuroethics into our strategic roadmap and company culture and to position ourselves publicly.
2. Our ethical commitments
Our platform and ecosystem partners are key to turning insights into actions. Together with them we strive to creating a better future. We aim to be transparent, accountable, and responsible in our operations and commit to:
- Respect for Individual Autonomy: We believe that individuals have the right to choose how their brain data is collected, stored, and used. Our device will only be used with the explicit consent of the end-users and customers, and they will have complete control over their data.
- Confidentiality and Privacy: We understand that brain data is highly personal and sensitive information. We will ensure that all data collected is kept confidential and secure, and only authorized personnel will have access to it. We will adhere to relevant data privacy laws and regulations.
- Informed Consent: We will provide clear and concise information to customers and end-users about the device’s capabilities, the data that will be collected, and how it will be used.
- Fair and Transparent Use: We will use the data collected only for the purpose for which it was intended and with the end-users and customers› explicit consent. We will also be transparent about how the data is used and who has access to it.
- Avoidance of Harm: We will take all necessary measures to avoid any potential harm to the end-users and customers. We will ensure that the device is safe, and that the data collected is not used to discriminate or stigmatize any individuals or groups.
- Responsibility and Accountability: We take responsibility for the ethical use of our device and the data collected by it. We will regularly review our policies and procedures to ensure that they align with our ethical standards. We will be accountable for any breaches of our ethical standards and take immediate corrective action.
3. Principles in practice
Our principles and commitments apply to IDUN’s:
3.1 Team & employees
We work as a team to act in accordance with our ethical principles and commitments in all contexts, roles, levels of responsibility and interaction with stakeholders. From the early stages of IDUN, we have co-created values to ensure interactions that are open, real, and respectful. We pro-actively discuss aspirations, concerns, and actively integrate ethics discussions into our work and private life. We hold each other accountable to meet the ethical standards described in our charter.
3.2 Customers & partners
We see our customers as partners. When exploring new partnerships, we apply a custom decision-making template, the IDUN Partner Rubric, to align around practices for key ethical considerations. We share this Neuroethics Charter with our partners and implement routine discussions on entry, progress and turning points in our collaborations. To mitigate the risk for misuse of our technology we have developed an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) that we share with our partners and customers.
3.3 Shareholders
To our investors & shareholders we are transparent about the ways we have woven ethics into our companies’ daily practices. We collaborate with them to have a shared understanding of the value proposition for integrating a neuroethical lens in our work as outlined above.
3.4 End-users
We innovate to improve life. This implies that we strive for partnerships and use-cases that have the potential to increase quality of life of end-users. We are dedicated to being socially responsible and strive to make our technology accessible for everyone. Safety, privacy, autonomy, transparency, and empowerment are core elements of our product development.
4. Resources
We are using the following resources to promote our ethical commitments:
4.1 Ethics Advisory Board
We have recruited an ethics advisory board consisting of leaders in neuro- and data ethics and AI policy from academia and industry. We have set routine workshops to help advise on our existing operations and future growth. The board also helps us to implement the right and ability to exercise control over brain data.
4.2 Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)
The purpose of the IDUN Acceptable Use Policy is to establish acceptable practices regarding the use of IDUN’s products and services in order to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information created, collected, and maintained. The AUP applies to any individual, entity, or process that interacts with IDUN products and services.
4.3 Partner Rubric
We created the IDUN Partner Rubric to align and discuss with potential collaborators:
- Purpose: How does the product improve ‘wellbeing’? How is the alignment on company vision and mission?
- Stakeholder interests: Which stakeholders have interest in the collaboration and what are the power dynamics amongst them?
- End-user empowerment: What measures need to be in place to ensure voluntariness, autonomy and/or agency?
- Data management: What privacy considerations will arise and how will they be addressed regarding data collection, processing, access, and dissemination?
- Misuse: Is there potential to violate the acceptable use policy?
4.4 Neuroethics Guidance Integration
We consider the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD’s) Recommendation on Responsible Innovation in Neurotechnology. The following OECD Principles inform our values and practices:
- Promoting responsible innovation
- Prioritising safety
- Promoting inclusivity
- Fostering scientific collaboration
- Enabling societal deliberation
- Enabling capacity of oversight and advisory bodies
- Safeguarding personal brain data and other information
- Promoting cultures of stewardship and trust
- Anticipating and monitoring potential unintended use and/or misuse
5. Community and ongoing work
We work with our ethics and community advisors to maintain a practiced neuroethical awareness, readiness, and implementation. This Charter is a living document that will grow as we grow as company and individuals. To both learn and shape, we commit to active participation in the neuroethics community, this involves hosting and participation of events, roundtables, and conferences.
Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)
1. Purpose
At IDUN Technologies («IDUN») we are enabling the Internet of Humans; a world with connected cognitive and emotional intelligence to promote wellbeing. This Acceptable Use Policy («AUP») sets forth the guidelines for the use of the IDUN’s products, services, and platforms («Services») by our Partners, Customers, and End-Users.
2. Audience
This AUP applies to any individual, entity, or process that interacts with IDUN Services.
3. Definitions
Can be found in the General Terms and Conditions doc
4. Acceptable Activities
A Customer may use IDUN’s Services for any lawful activities that are also for the described indications and purposes of research and commercial development as agreed upon in the Customer contract. These can include but are not limited to applications of research toward developing tools for observation, diagnosis, intervention, wellness, self-improvement, and social connection. Dynamic consent models are preferred when requesting use of user data.
5. Unacceptable Activities
In connection with the use of IDUN’s Services, the following activities are not accepted:
- Discrimination: You may not offer products or services that promote, encourage, or facilitate hate speech, violence, or discrimination against individuals.
- Hateful activities: You may not offer products or services to promote or condone hate or violence based on race, ethnicity, color, national origin, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, medical condition, or other discriminatory intolerance.
- Employment: You may not attempt to use data acquired through IDUN’s products and services to undermine End-User’s ability to maintain employment.
- Insurability: You may not attempt to use data to diminish access to health, life, or other kinds of insurance.
- Harm: You may not harm others or cause individuals to harm themselves or others.
- Political Campaigning: You may not use data acquired from IDUN’s Services for political campaigning.
- Inference and interpretation: You may not use IDUN’s Services for unauthorized interpretations of mental state or medical conditions without permission from End-Users.
- Exploitation: You may not use data acquired from IDUN’s products and services for sales or exploitation of user insights without user opt-in permission.
- Illegal Activity: You may not use the IDUN’s products and services in violation of any applicable law or regulation, including privacy laws in applicable jurisdictions.
6. Activities that Require Approval
- Alternatives to dynamic consent and opt-in models can be proposed along with relevant justification for review and final approval by IDUN leadership.
- Use of IDUN’s products and services in the context wherein Customer vendor applications are utilized in the collaboration. APIs, data processing, storage, and access protocols must be submitted to IDUN leadership for review.
7. Penalties
IDUN reserves the right to investigate any suspected violation of the AUP or misuse of IDUN’s Services. Without limiting any other remedies available to it, IDUN may in its sole discretion suspend or terminate access to IDUN’s Services for violations of this AUP, to prevent harm to other parties, or to preserve its security, availability, or integrity. Terms not defined in this AUP will have the meaning set forth in the applicable agreement between customers and IDUN.
8. Infringement Reporting
If you become aware of an infringement of the AUP, report the matter to
Dr. Moritz Thielen, CTO
IDUN Technologies AG
Alpenstrasse 3
8052 Opfikon
Switzerland
moritz@iduntechnologies.com
Simon Bachmann
CEO
Séverine Gisin
CCO
Moritz Thielen
CTO