Baidu

China
Cloud & Data Storage, Software and Services, Web Browsers

Corprate Bias Ratings

Risk Level:

Rating - Danger
High Risk

Baidu is the largest web browser in China and participates in the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) censorship of information and media non approved by the Party. Baidu has close business and political relationships with the CCP. For these reasons, Baidu receives a High 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

While Baidu has not publicly terminated employees due to religious or political beliefs, it should be noted that the company does have close relations with the CCP.

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

The Baidu Public Welfare Mission is “To subsidize youth, disadvantaged groups, poor areas and social welfare institutions to improve the application of information technology, promote the establishment of public welfare information platforms, and subsidize public welfare projects carrying themes including poverty relief, health, disaster relief, education, environmental protection” (1). Baidu’s charitable giving does not include religious organizations, and the CCP regularly cracks down on religious practices.

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Baidu does not protect employees from 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

Baidu has created a CCP committee to ensure its policies remain aligned with the goals of the Party (1).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Since Baidu has a CCP committee at the company, it likely has close economic ties to the ruling government (1).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

While Baidu cannot make political donations in the United States, the company was involved in a report where a Democrat super PAC was gifted $100,000 in Baidu stock from an anonymous donor (1).

All links were last accessed and all information was updated on:
August 25, 2023

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