BT’s Lydia Hopton On Upholding The Principles Of “Responsible Tech” In A Rapidly-Changing World

BT’s Lydia Hopton On Upholding The Principles Of “Responsible Tech” In A Rapidly-Changing World



With growing concern and scepticism around the misuse of technology, it’s vital for organisations to have the right safeguards in place to protect their people and the business overall.

It starts with the belief that the technology we use must earn our trust if it is to transform lives for the better. So, how might organisations go about achieving this?

At BT, we’ve identified three challenges concerning people around the use of technology:

  1. Data and cybersecurity. Our networks and the data that flows through them are central to our business, so protecting these assets is critical. BT currently blocks up to four million scam calls each week, and our global network of security centres protects the company from 200,000 cyber-attacks each month. We also employ some 3,000 cybersecurity professionals and have a 100-person strong team of ‘ethical hackers’ tasked with looking for weaknesses in our own security and systems;
  2. Geography. Managing risk in a changing geopolitical context is increasingly vital, as is the recognition that some geographies are at higher risk than others. For example, BT serves customers across 180 countries, with our supply chain spanning 100 countries. In this context, closely taking into account factors such as data sovereignty and geopolitical tensions is not a nice to have, it is integral to the decisions we make. Our approach is to harness a range of technologies when it comes to these challenges, including crisis gaming, where we simulate high-risk scenarios using AI and automation to detect threats and uncover potential risks;
  3. Those impacted by tech. This requires deep thinking about how user groups engage with technology. For example, at BT, we serve families across the UK, including children, a segment that can be vulnerable to adverse tech impacts when there is a lack or absence of parental supervision or safety control measures. We have carried out a group-wide assessment to understand our impact on children’s digital rights and safety, engaging with children, parents and experts in children’s needs. We worked with partners and platforms to make technology use safer for children, implementing a free online service that gives children the tools and confidence to use phone technology safely and responsibly. To date, there have been more than 4,000 sign-ups to the programme and 24,000 modules completed, covering topics such as online hate, digital wellbeing, staying safe online and digital and media literacy.

Implementing Responsible Tech is an enabler that builds trust across the enterprise. It’s also good for business, transforming risk into a competitive advantage as more customers ask questions about an organisation’s security capabilities when making purchasing decisions. Because companies now compete not just on the cost and quality of their services but also on trust and integrity.

Lydia Hopton is the Senior Manager for Responsible Tech and Human Rights at BT.

Latest News

Fighting For ‘Attention’: How To Measure Campaigns In Today’s Content Saturated World
  • Partner Content

Fighting For ‘Attention’: How To Measure Campaigns In Today’s Content Saturated World

When it comes to ad campaigns, have you ever felt you’re ‘fighting’ for your audience’s attention? You’re not alone. Attracting and retaining audience attention in today’s digitally fragmented environment has never been more challenging. In fact, a recent study by Microsoft concluded that the human attention span has dropped to eight seconds – shrinking nearly […]

Partner Content
Women Paving the Path In Tech & Loyalty Share Key Insights
  • Technology

Women Paving the Path In Tech & Loyalty Share Key Insights

In the ever-evolving landscape of technology and loyalty, women are not just breaking barriers but reshaping the future. As we celebrate International Women’s Day and rally behind the theme of investing in women to accelerate progress, we made a conscious choice to forego the statistics that underscore the ongoing journey towards true gender parity. Instead, […]

Empowering Change: Women Leading The Generative AI Revolution In Marketing For International Women’s Day
  • Marketing

Empowering Change: Women Leading The Generative AI Revolution In Marketing For International Women’s Day

The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day, “Inspire Inclusion”, establishes a poignant tone for fostering authentic change. It perfectly mirrors the dynamic landscape of marketing, where change is the only constant. The last third-party cookie has finally crumbled, privacy laws are tightening, and now, Generative AI is quickly ushering in a new era of […]

Stevie-Ann Dovico Moves From NAB To Beyond Bank
  • Fintech

Stevie-Ann Dovico Moves From NAB To Beyond Bank

Stevie-Ann Dovico (lead image), has made the shift to customer-owned, Beyond Bank as its new chief information officer. The announcement came via Linkedin with happy to share that she is “ready to create real impact for and with our people, customers and communities” in her new role. Dovico replaces Fiona Floyd, who left the role […]

Redefining Tech Leadership: Deputy’s C-Suite Now 80% Women
  • Technology

Redefining Tech Leadership: Deputy’s C-Suite Now 80% Women

Deputy, the leading global people platform for hourly work, has announced the appointment of Sejal Patel Daswani (lead image) as its new chief people officer, resulting in a shift in the composition of its senior leadership, with women now making up 80% of the company’s C-Suite. Daswani has led people functions at every stage and […]

Acronis Names Cybersecurity Channel Veteran Kelly Johnson As General Manager For Australia & New Zealand
  • Technology

Acronis Names Cybersecurity Channel Veteran Kelly Johnson As General Manager For Australia & New Zealand

Acronis has appointed Kelly Johnson (lead image)as the new general manager for Australia and New Zealand. Johnson will lead the channel-focused business, strengthening relationships with distributors and supporting partners to meet the cybersecurity demands of modern businesses in the region. With the growing pressure on Australian businesses for cybersecurity and the drive to comply with […]

Aquent Salary Guide Reveals The Gender Pay Gap Persists In Marketing, Design & Technology Fields
  • Marketing
  • Technology

Aquent Salary Guide Reveals The Gender Pay Gap Persists In Marketing, Design & Technology Fields

Aquent has released its 2024 Australian Salary Guide for marketing, design, and technology talent. This year, it explores how marketing, design, and technology roles are expanding, deep dives into gender pay gaps, and examines the movement of salaries year-on-year—both in growth and decline. Paired with Aquent’s 2023 Talent Insights Report, the Salary Guide helps organisations […]

Tech Salaries Continue To Steady Out As Businesses Remain Cautious
  • Technology

Tech Salaries Continue To Steady Out As Businesses Remain Cautious

The hiring market is experiencing significant change, fluctuating between a frenzied candidate-short market and a more cautious employer-driven market, according to Talent’s ‘More Than Money Salary Guide 2024’. Tech and digital salaries continue to steady out but remain strong for key skillsets such as cybersecurity and AI. The report features key salaries, roles and skills […]

Surging Job Satisfaction For Australia’s Young Tech Workers Amid Labour Market Cooling
  • Technology

Surging Job Satisfaction For Australia’s Young Tech Workers Amid Labour Market Cooling

While 2021’s big workplace trend was The Great Resignation, 2024’s big trend is likely to be ‘The Big Stay’ in Australia, concludes modern HR platform HiBob in its latest research of young Australians working in the tech sector. The combination of decreasing Australian job vacancies and a remarkable increase in job satisfaction among Australia’s young tech workers in 2023 […]