Google is still on our radar.

 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. 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.

WATCH OUR GOOGLE VIDEO

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. 

 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.

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, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/378457?t=10&akid=55247%2E4731121%2E0HMlxo.
  2. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/378458?t=12&akid=55247%2E4731121%2E0HMlxo.
  3. Giulia Carbonaro, “Kyle Rittenhouse pays for Twitter Blue check as conservatives cough up,” Newsweek, November 10, 2022, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/378459?t=14&akid=55247%2E4731121%2E0HMlxo.
  4. Russell Brandom, “Elon Musk begins reinstating banned Twitter accounts, starting with Jordan Peterson and the Babylon Bee,” The Verge, November 18, 2022, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/378460?t=16&akid=55247%2E4731121%2E0HMlxo.
  5. Arjun Kharpal, “Ye returns to Twitter with ‘Shalom’ post after previous restriction for antisemitic remarks,” CNBC, November 21, 2022, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/378461?t=18&akid=55247%2E4731121%2E0HMlxo.
  6. Karen Weise, “Amazon is said to plan to lay off thousands of employees,” The New York Times, November 14, 2022, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/378462?t=20&akid=55247%2E4731121%2E0HMlxo.
  7. “The Changing Landscape of Disruptive Technologies,” KPMG, 2018, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/378464?t=22&akid=55247%2E4731121%2E0HMlxo.
  8. “2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders,” Alphabet Investor Relations, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/378463?t=24&akid=55247%2E4731121%2E0HMlxo.
  9. Kif Leswing, “Shareholders vote for Apple to conduct a civil rights audit, bucking company’s recommendation,” CNBC, March 4, 2022, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/351427?t=26&akid=55247%2E4731121%2E0HMlxo.
  10. Ibid.
  11. “The Black Tech Agenda,” Color Of Change, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/378465?t=28&akid=55247%2E4731121%2E0HMlxo.