[HOT] Indemnification of Digital Volunteers / Crisis Mapping

[Lea Shanley]

*Calling for “Backup” – Indemnification for Digital Volunteers*

Commons Lab Blog, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars,
November 7, 2012
**

*(Editor’s note: This guest blog is by Edward S. Robson, Esq.)*

In the past I have written about the tort liability that digital volunteers
face when making responses.  In addition to a number of other strategies,
one method for reducing liability is to obtain indemnification from the
governmental agency or NGO requesting the services of the digital
volunteers.

First, a few words about indemnification: This means to require a requestor
to pay any expenses or awards associated with the claims brought against
digital volunteers as a result of their work for the requesting party.  If
a member of a digital volunteer group negligently released information
causing a disaster victim to be injured, the requesting agency would be
contractually required to pay attorney’s fees incurred in defense, or any
awards.  An indemnification agreement would not necessarily cover all
conduct of digital volunteers, including acts of gross negligence or
recklessness.

To obtain indemnification, groups need an agreement with the party
requesting service.  The agreement need not be actively negotiated but
could be contained in an online activation request.  The acceptance of
terms and conditions, including acceptance of indemnification, would be a
prerequisite for submission of an activation request.
[MORE]<http://wilsoncommonslab.org/2012/11/07/calling-for-backup-indemnification-for-digital-volunteers/#more-631>

   - *TO READ MORE OF THIS ARTICLE*, visit:
   http://wilsoncommonslab.org/2012/11/07/calling-for-backup-indemnification-for-digital-volunteers/#more-631


   - *TO READ RESPONDING TO LIABILITY: EVALUATING AND REDUCING TORT
   LIABILITY FOR DIGITAL VOLUNTEERS* operating in the United States, by Ed
   Robson, on behalf of the Wilson Center's Commons Lab with the support of
   CrisisCommons, visit:
   http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/commons-lab-releases-report-liability-for-digital-volunteers-disasters


   - T*O WATCH A VIDEO with Ed Robson on Crisis Mapping LEGAL AND POLICY
   ISSUES*, such as liability and privacy, visit:
   http://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/webcast-day-2-connecting-grassroots-to-government-for-disaster-management-policy-roundtable
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