Corprate Bias Ratings
Risk Level:
Summary:
Pinterest has banned the pro-life group Live Action from its platform and has censored Christian terminology on its site. Pinterest scored a 70 on the Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) Corporate Equality Index (CEI). By complying with the HRC’s controversial demands, Pinterest increases the risk of dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders. The company covers transgender-related medical costs for its employees and their children. It also uses sex and gender ideology criteria in employee recruitment, vendor selection, and philanthropic support. Pinterest uses its reputation and corporate funds to support controversial sex and gender ideologies and organizations. The company is part of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media and does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees. Pinterest provides a benefits package for employees which covers travel/lodging costs for an abortion and transgender medical procedures for covered employees and dependents, including children. The company has funded the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and signed an open letter in support of the Equality Act. Pinterest opposed various state and local legislation intended to protect parental rights, girls’ sports, bathroom facilities, and gendered spaces. The company denounced various states’ legislative efforts to protect election integrity and security. For these reasons, Pinterest receives a High Risk rating.
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.
Pinterest received a score of 70 on the 2023 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a political stakeholder group. The company recruits employees based on sexual identity issues. The company discriminates against vendors that do not promote divisive sex and gender policies, indicating it prioritizes sexual issues over merit (1)(2)(3). In 2019, Pinterest permanently suspended the pro-life organization Live Action from the site due to “misinformation” (4). Similarly, a leaked document detailing Pinterest’s “Sensitive Terms List” revealed that the site censors religious terms such as “Bible verses” and “Christian Easter,” citing them as “brand unsafe” (5). The company is a member of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media, which aims to demonetize advertisements and suppress content that “vilifies” individuals based on sexual orientation and gender identity, discusses “debated social issues in a negative or partisan context” or spreads “hate speech” (6)(7)(8).
Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.
Employment policies fail to protect against discrimination based on political affiliation/views and/or religion.
Pinterest does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (1).
Uses corporate reputation to support ideological causes and/or organizations hostile to freedom of expression.
Pinterest signed an open letter in support of the Equality Act (1). The company was part of the Freedom for All Americans coalition, which advocated for federal legislation that would overrule state laws designed to protect girls’ sports and similar laws (2). Pinterest opposed various state and local legislation intended to protect parental rights, girls’ sports, bathroom facilities, and gendered spaces (3). Pinterest has publicly supported Black Lives Matter and its CEO is a signatory to CEOs for Gun Safety (3)(4). The company denounced various states’ legislative efforts to protect election integrity and security (5).
Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.
Pinterest provides a benefits package for employees which covers travel/lodging costs for an abortion and transgender medical procedures for covered employees and dependents, including children (1)(2)(3). Pinterest’s HRC 2023 CEI rating indicates the company covers transgender related costs for its employees and their children, including paid short-term leave, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, chest surgeries, genital surgeries, medical visits and lab monitoring, travel and lodging (4)(5). By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company increases health care costs and risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders. Pinterest is a member of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (6)(7)(8). The company hosted a fundraiser for the American Civil Liberties Union for Trans Day of Visibility (9). Pinterest also did fundraise on behalf of the SPLC in 2017–2018 (10)(11).
All links were last accessed and all information was updated on:
March 11, 2024
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Voting History
Date | ESG Category | Proponent | Summary of Resolution | Mgmt Rec | Total Vote % in Favor |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
5/25/23 | Social | Thomas P. DiNapoli | Report on certain data relating to anti-harassment and anti-discrimination | Against | 5.50% |
5/25/23 | Governance | The National Center for Public Policy Research | Requesting additional reporting on government requests to remove content | Against | 0.33% |