Norton LifeLock

Arizona
Data Security

Risk Level:

Rating - Danger
High Risk

Summary:

Norton, formerly Symantec, is a cybersecurity software company. Norton canceled its business relationship with the NRA in 2018. The company does vet its suppliers based on LGBTQ policies but does not have viewpoint protections for its employees. Norton has supported the Equality Act and regularly uses corporate dollars to support a variety of ideological groups hostile to freedom of expression, such as Black Lives Matter (BLM), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and others. For these reasons, Norton 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

Norton received a score of 100 on the Corporate Equality Index from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) (1). Among other requirements, this means the company has pledged to vet vendors for LGBTQ policies. As Symantec, the company “cut ties” with the NRA in 2018 (2).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Norton has a donation matching program that focuses on specific missions and has no written rule prohibiting donations to religious organizations (1).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Norton’s Code of Conduct 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

As Symantec (pre-2019), Norton’s leaders “underwrote” a series of web posts about how corporations should retool to be more in accordance with the tenets of the BLM movement (1). Norton has worked with the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation’s (GLAAD) communications department to rebuild Norton’s web filtering software cooperatively (2). Norton has also endorsed events from both GLAAD and the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network on its blogs (3). Norton is a member of the HRC’s Business Coalition for the Equality Act (4).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

As Symantec (pre-2019), the company granted funds directly to Planned Parenthood (1). In January 2021, Norton ran a “special” 2:1 donation matching campaign that specifically supported BLM, Color of Change, the ACLU, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and many similar organizations (2). Norton also made a $100,000 grant to the National Urban League (3). Norton is a Bronze sponsor of Out and Equal (4).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

The Norton Inc. PAC has been inactive since early 2020, but the PAC historically donated in a bipartisan and non-ideological manner (1)(2).

All links were last accessed and all information was updated on:
March 28, 2023

Company reports are intended for educational use only. Full Disclaimer

Generate Reports
Clear
Toast