Some American technology The giants are abandoning their decade-long practice of publishing statistics on the racial and gender composition of their workforce. Google, which helped pioneer the publication of annual diversity, equity and inclusion reports, has no plans to disclose the information this year, according to four employees familiar with internal discussions. Microsoft and Meta will also not publish diversity reports or data this year, spokespersons for the companies confirmed to WIRED.
The widespread loss of transparency, which has not been previously reported, could obscure the impact of President Donald Trump’s anti-DEI policies on the tech workforce. It could also raise barriers for workers and civil rights groups seeking to reshape tech companies to better reflect the makeup of the countries in which they operate.
The decision by these three companies, which together employ hundreds of thousands of people around the world, also contrasts with that of their industry peers. Apple, Amazon and Nvidia released new diversity data this year.
Google did not respond to a request for comment for this story.
Revelations over the past decade showed that Google and dozens of other tech companies were consistently hiring more women and racial minorities, although these groups were still underrepresented in technical and management roles relative to their overall U.S. population. Some companies also released additional data showing higher attrition rates for racial minorities and a lack of diversity in terms of disabled or LGBTQ employees.
Microsoft chief spokesperson Frank Shaw said in a statement to WIRED that the company is not doing “a traditional report this year, as we have evolved beyond that to formats that are more dynamic and accessible,” including “stories, videos and insights that show inclusion in action.” He added that the company’s “mission and commitment to our culture and values remain unchanged.”
Meta spokesperson Tracy Clayton confirmed that the company will not release a diversity report this year. He declined to give further details about the decision.
“The facts”
Following pressure from civil rights activists including Reverend Jesse Jackson and its advocacy group Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Google released employee diversity data for the first time in 2014. Several other tech giants followed suit that same year.
Technology executives said they had realized the need to be more candid about the underrepresentation of some demographic groups. “It’s difficult to address these types of challenges if you’re not prepared to discuss them openly and with facts,” said Google people operations leader Laszlo Bock. wrote at that time.
Google published 11 annual reports in the following years. This included data from 2013 to 2023, and the latest report published in June 2024. Meta published data covering 2014 until 2022. and that of microsoft final update of this type arrived in October 2024.
#Google #Microsoft #Meta #stopped #publishing #data #workplace #diversity
