Google Joins List of US Companies Stepping Away from DEI Objectives
The technology leader is aligning with other corporations such as Amazon, Ford, and McDonald’s by eliminating its DEI initiatives.
Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet, has recently joined the ranks of U.S. companies that have abandoned their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and objectives, with the tech behemoth removing several commitments from its website.
Although Google had amplified its inclusivity efforts following the police killings of George Floyd in 2020, the company seems to have reversed its commitment to diversity policies, as evidenced by updates made to its “belonging” webpage within the last week.
Additionally, the previous version of the page identified Melonie Parker as “Chief Diversity Officer,” along with her pronouns “she/her.”
Related Stories
The page also lists Parker as “VP, People Operations” and has omitted her pronouns.
Moreover, Alphabet has eliminated any references to “diversity, equity, and inclusion” from its most recent annual 10-K report for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024, submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Google Advocates Inclusivity, Establishes Leadership Objectives
It adds that the organization provides “industry-leading benefits and programs to cater to the diverse needs of our employees and their families” and vows to persist in investing in attracting “talented individuals for technical and non-technical positions while compensating them well.”
Similar to various other prominent tech firms, Google offers some of its technologies and services to the federal government, notably through its expanding cloud division, a key component of its foray into artificial intelligence.
Historically, Google has been one of the most outspoken advocates for enhanced inclusive policies, with CEO Sundar Pichai aiming to improve the representation of underrepresented groups in the company’s predominantly Asian and white leadership roles by 30 percent by 2025.
While Google has made some progress since then, its leadership composition has not significantly changed.
“We’ve updated our 10-K language to reflect this, and as a federal contractor, our teams are also evaluating changes required following recent court decisions and executive orders on this topic,” the organization stated. A 10-K is a comprehensive report regarding a company’s financial performance.
Google is now part of a growing number of U.S. companies that are scaling back their diversity initiatives, alongside Amazon, Ford, McDonald’s, Meta Platforms, Walmart, Walt Disney Co., and Target.
These companies had previously implemented such policies during the former administration, which endorsed DEI across the federal government as part of its initiatives to tackle perceived long-standing inequities and systemic racism.
The Epoch Times has reached out to a Google representative for comments.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
