Microsoft (LinkedIn, Bing)

Washington
Media and Entertainment, Software and Services, Web Browsers

Risk Level:

Rating - Danger
High Risk

Summary:

Microsoft discriminates against religious nonprofits in both employee matching programs and nonprofit discounts, and the company works with the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) to exclude "hate" groups. Microsoft does protect its employees against political viewpoint discrimination, yet the company consistently uses its corporate power and funds to advance an array of ideological causes, policies, and organizations hostile to freedom of expression. The Microsoft PAC has led the way in weaponizing its resources against conservative politicians by taking steps to exclude "anti-LGBTQ" candidates. Microsoft has not publicly canceled business relationships due to views or beliefs, though a subsidiary previously utilized a secret blacklist to prevent advertising on conservative-leaning news sites. For these reasons, Microsoft 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

Microsoft received a score of 100 on the Corporate Equality Index from the HRC. Among other requirements, this means the company has pledged to vet vendors based on LGBTQ policies (1)(2). However, Microsoft has not terminated any business relationships due to views or beliefs. Microsoft-owned Xandr, an advertising company, removed conservative-leaning news outlets from its media blacklist after previously utilizing the Global Disinformation Index to prevent certain sources from receiving advertising dollars, including sites such as Breitbart, Newsmax, RealClearPolitics, the Blaze, the Washington Times, and more (3).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Microsoft does not match employee gifts to religious organizations unless there is “an ongoing secular community service program sponsored by these organizations [that] does not propagate a belief in a specific faith” (1). Microsoft also prohibits nonprofits from qualifying for its nonprofit discount “if they have a policy or mission of discrimination” on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity (among other protected classes) (2). Alliance Defending Freedom lost access to nonprofit pricing for Microsoft products because the SPLC considers them a “hate” group (3).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Microsoft does protect its employees against 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

Microsoft is one of the inaugural members of the business coalition for the Equality Act (1). Microsoft also endorses transgender participation in female sports (2). Microsoft was the only company to file a lawsuit to object to the rescission of DACA, and the company also wrote a blog post objecting to the Georgia voting integrity bill (3)(4). Microsoft opposed North Carolina’s “Bathroom Bill,” which required people to use the bathrooms corresponding to biological sex (5). LinkedIn, which is owned by Microsoft, removed its seminar that urged people to “be less white” after it saw the backlash this training caused at Coca-Cola (6). Microsoft held a corporate presentation laden with progressive and partisan ideology (7). Microsoft opposed the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act, which prohibits teaching gender identity and sexual orientation in schools to kids in K-3rd grade (8). 

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Microsoft has funded Planned Parenthood and is a platinum sponsor of the HRC (1)(2). It also gave $250,000 to the Black Lives Matter Foundation (3). Additionally, Microsoft covers employee travel to seek an abortion (4).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Microsoft worked with “Zero for Zeros,” a campaign to cut off donations to “anti-LGBTQ” politicians, and considers “diversity and inclusion” when making PAC donations (1)(2). The company PAC has contributed to the Equality PAC (3).

All links were last accessed and all information was updated on:
March 23, 2023

Company reports are intended for educational use only. Full Disclaimer

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