Akamai Technologies

Risk Level:

Medium Risk

Summary:

Akamai Technologies is a content delivery network services provider for media and software delivery and a provider of cloud security solutions. Akamai has advocated for the Equality Act and supported the American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights Campaign (HRC). Akamai has not canceled clients for their views or beliefs, but the company has pledged to vet vendors for LGBTQ policies. The company does not have viewpoint protection for its employees. Akamai does not fund advocacy groups, and it does not discriminate against faith-based charities. For these reasons, Akamai Technologies receives a "Medium Risk" rating.

Criteria

Risk Level

Rationale

Corporate Weaponization

Criteria

Has denied service to customers, suppliers, or vendors due to their political views or religious beliefs OR corporately boycotts, divests, or sanctions regions, people groups, or industries.

Risk Level

Rationale

Akamai Technologies received a score of 100% on the Corporate Equality Index from the HRC (1). Among other requirements, this means the company has pledged to vet vendors for LGBTQ policies. The company has not publicly terminated other business relationships due to political or religious affiliations.

Criteria

Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.

Risk Level

Rationale

The Akamai Foundation does not exclude faith-based charities from consideration for grants (1). The Akamai Foundation only matches employee donations for specific causes (e.g., response funds after a disaster) and is not discriminatory (2).

Criteria

Employment policies fail to protect against discrimination based on political affiliation/views and/or religion.

Risk Level

Rationale

Akamai’s Code of Ethics does not protect employees from political viewpoint discrimination (1).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria

Uses corporate reputation to support ideological causes and/or organizations hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level

Rationale

Akamai Technologies is a member of the Business Coalition for the Equality Act (1). The company also used its Twitter page in 2020 to publicly support the HRC and gender identity and sexual orientation as protected characteristics under Title VII (2). Akamai’s CEO, Tom Leighton, signed a letter denouncing proposed election integrity legislation (3). Akamai also assisted the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council in assembling a list of Juneteenth resources, which included books by critical race theorists Ibram X. Kendi, Robin DiAngelo, and Ta-Nehisi Coates and highlighted the ACLU and Southern Poverty Law Center as partner organizations for further resources (4).

Criteria

Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level

Rationale

Akamai Technologies has no history of corporately contributing to ideological causes or organizations (1)(2). However, in 2013, then-Executive Vice Chairman of Akamai Technologies, Paul Sagan, personally spearheaded an ACLU initiative, donating millions in personal funds (3).

Criteria

Uses corporate political contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.

Risk Level

Rationale

Akamai does not directly give to political campaigns, PACs, or ballot initiatives (1). Akamai does engage in lobbying, but this is for practical business purposes, such as promoting greater use of technology in government (2).

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