Pinterest

California
Media and Entertainment

Corprate Bias Ratings

Risk Level:

Rating - Danger
High Risk

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.

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

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).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Pinterest’s HRC CEI rating indicates the company will not donate to non-religious charities unless they embrace controversial sexual identity policies (1)(2). Pinterest does not discriminate against religious organizations in its charitable giving (3).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Pinterest does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (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

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).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

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).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Pinterest does not operate a PAC at this time and has not lobbied for ideological purposes (1)(2)(3).

All links were last accessed and all information was updated on:
March 11, 2024

Company reports are intended for educational use only. Full Disclaimer

Voting History

Date
ESG Category
Proponent
Summary of ResolutionMgmt RecTotal Vote % in Favor
5/25/23SocialThomas P. DiNapoliReport on certain data relating to anti-harassment and anti-discriminationAgainst5.50%
5/25/23GovernanceThe National Center for Public Policy ResearchRequesting additional reporting on government requests to remove contentAgainst0.33%
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