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. The company vets vendors according to LGBTQ policies, is part of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media, and does not provide its employees with protections against viewpoint discrimination. Pinterest provides travel benefits for abortion and covers the cost of "medically necessary transition-related care” for its employees and their children. The company has funded the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and publicly endorsed the Equality Act. 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

In 2019, Pinterest permanently suspended the pro-life organization Live Action from the site due to “misinformation” (1). 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” (2). Pinterest received a score of 100 on the Corporate Equality Index from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) (3). Among other requirements, this means the company has pledged to vet vendors for LGBTQ policies. 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” (4)(5)(6).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Pinterest has no written rule prohibiting donations to religious nonprofits (1).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Pinterest does not provide protections 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

 The company is a member of the Business Coalition for the Equality Act (1). Pinterest also signed the HRC’s Business Statement on Anti-LGBTQ Legislation (2). The company has publicly supported Black Lives Matter (3). Pinterest’s CEO Ben Silbermann is a signatory to CEOs For Gun Safety (4).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Pinterest has a perfect score on the HRC’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index. This score indicates the company covers the cost of “medically necessary transition-related care” for its employees and their children (1)(2). After the Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, Pinterest announced that it provides travel benefits for abortions (3). Pinterest is a member of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (4)(5)(6). The company hosted a fundraiser for the American Civil Liberties Union for Trans Day of Visibility (6). Pinterest also did fundraising on behalf of the SPLC in 2017–2018 (7)(8).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
N/A
Rationale

Pinterest does not operate a PAC.

All links were last accessed and all information was updated on:
September 20, 2023

Company reports are intended for educational use only. Full Disclaimer

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