[ [link removed] ]A gif of a Google search that says "Is Google evil?"

While Big Tech’s facade of invincibility is fading quickly, Google has
been maintaining a low profile. Elon Musk continues to destroy Twitter by
driving out more than half of Twitter’s original staff, revoking the
hateful content policy and reinstating hateful actors with blue checks
such as Kyle Rittenhouse, Jordan Peterson, and Kanye West.^1-5 At the same
time Amazon, Facebook and Instagram are laying off thousands of employees
right before the holiday season.^6

While Google has remained absent from the recent headlines, Google still
has not addressed its own problems with racism over the years. [ [link removed] ]And we
have compiled these issues and detailed them in a video. Google can avoid
the same fate as the rest of Big Tech by conducting a racial equity audit,
which would highlight specific areas where Google can eliminate
discrimination in its products and workplaces.

[ [link removed] ]WATCH OUR GOOGLE VIDEO

[ [link removed] ]TELL GOOGLE EXECS THAT GOOGLE NEEDS A RACIAL EQUITY AUDIT!

Google was once regarded as an innovative business leader, but now it’s
lagging behind ethically.^7 During this year’s Annual Shareholder Meeting,
a majority of Google shareholders voted in favor of a racial equity audit.
However, due to the unequal voting structure, shareholders like Google's
founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin struck down the proposal.^8 Meanwhile,
Apple shareholders approved a proposal for the board to “conduct a
third-party audit examining company policies and provide recommendations
to improve its civil rights impact.”^9 Even Dollar General announced that
they are conducting a racial equity audit this year!^10 This new standard
comes after we forced Facebook to undergo a civil rights audit, disclose
the results and publish its progress. However, there is still time for
Google to catch up to Apple and Dollar General and conduct a racial equity
audit.

Nothing is off limits when it comes to Color Of Change holding tech
companies accountable for the safety and well-being of Black people. With
your support, John, we have curbed election misinformation on
Musk’s Twitter platform and are still pressuring Musk to meet our demands
to protect Black users and keep hateful content off the platform. We
launched our Black Tech Agenda to provide policymakers with a road map
that ensures racial equity in regulating technology.^11 With Google, we
will push for another vote for a racial equity audit at the 2023 Annual
Shareholder Meeting. In the meantime, we’ll continue to remind Google to
prioritize the safety of Black people — just as we did this year when we
sent mobile billboards along their Google campus shuttle route to
encourage Googlers to pressure their leadership to conduct a racial equity
audit. 

 [ [link removed] ]A photo of a mobile billboard near a Google campus shuttle. The mobile
billboard says "No More Discrimination at Google."

We can make a better future happen. One where Google ads don’t drown out
accurate and trustworthy information. One where Google ads do not
financially support white supremacists to spread misinformation and
hateful content. One where Black people can thrive. Because when Black
people thrive, the world is safer for everyone.

[ [link removed] ]TELL LARRY PAGE, SERGEY BRIN AND SUNDAR PICHAI TO STOP HOLDING GOOGLE
BACK!

Until justice is real,

COC’s Tech Accountability Team

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

References: 

 1. Shannon Bond, “Twitter employees quit in droves after Elon Musk’s
ultimatum passes,” NPR, November 17, 2022,
[ [link removed] ][link removed]
 2. [ [link removed] ][link removed]
 3. Giulia Carbonaro, “Kyle Rittenhouse pays for Twitter Blue check as
conservatives cough up,” Newsweek, November 10, 2022,
[ [link removed] ][link removed]
 4. Russell Brandom, “Elon Musk begins reinstating banned Twitter
accounts, starting with Jordan Peterson and the Babylon Bee,” The
Verge, November 18, 2022,
[ [link removed] ][link removed]
 5. Arjun Kharpal, “Ye returns to Twitter with ‘Shalom’ post after
previous restriction for antisemitic remarks,” CNBC, November 21,
2022,
[ [link removed] ][link removed]
 6. Karen Weise, “Amazon is said to plan to lay off thousands of
employees,” The New York Times, November 14, 2022,
[ [link removed] ][link removed]
 7. “The Changing Landscape of Disruptive Technologies,” KPMG, 2018,
[ [link removed] ][link removed]
 8. “2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders,” Alphabet Investor Relations,
[ [link removed] ][link removed]
 9. Kif Leswing, “Shareholders vote for Apple to conduct a civil rights
audit, bucking company’s recommendation,” CNBC, March 4, 2022,
[ [link removed] ][link removed]
10. Ibid.
11. “The Black Tech Agenda,” Color Of Change,
[ [link removed] ][link removed]



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