Hootsuite

Software and Services

Risk Level:

Rating - Danger
High Risk

Summary:

Hootsuite is a social media management platform. Hootsuite canceled a contract with U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after pressure from activists. Hootsuite excludes faith-based charities from its charitable giving program. The company has also encouraged support for Black Lives Matter, although it has not financially supported ideological groups hostile to freedom of expression. For these reasons, Hootsuite 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

In 2020, Hootsuite canceled a three-year contract with ICE after social pressure from activists (1). Hootsuite has a prominently featured corporate partnership with Pride at Work Canada, which is “dedicated to understanding workplace policies and practices for supporting trans and gender non-conforming people” (2)(3). Hootsuite mentions “Human Rights” as an important point in its Vendor Code of Conduct, which in combination with the Pride at Work Canada partnership, indicates that Hootsuite may vet potential vendors for LGBTQ policy (4).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Hootsuite excludes religious organizations from its nonprofit charitable giving program (1).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Hootsuite’s Code of Ethics protects employees from discrimination based on “any… factor unrelated to job requirements,” including “social conditions” and “culture” (1). However, the text does not explicitly name political opinion as a point of protection.

Corporate Governance and Public Policy
Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Hootsuite has published guides on its blog on how to best engage in social media activism, specifically on behalf of the Black Lives Matter organization (1). The current CFO has also used her social media to announce anti-Trump and pro-Democratic sentiments (2).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Hootsuite has not used corporate funds to promote ideological groups hostile to freedom of expression (1).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
N/A
Rationale

Hootsuite does not have a PAC or make political contributions.

All links were last accessed and all information was updated on:
December 26, 2022

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