Shopify

Canada
Payment Processing, Retailing

Corprate Bias Ratings

Risk Level:

Rating - Danger
High Risk

Shopify suddenly reversed its longstanding business with firearm manufacturers in 2018, banning them from using the platform for business purposes. The company pledged $1 million to BLM and related causes and is a corporate partner of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce. Shopify does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees. For these reasons, Shopify 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 2017, Shopify refused to remove the conservative news site Breitbart from its platform, despite pressure to do so, due to CEO Tobi Lutke’s decision to protect “free speech” (1). However, the company suddenly banned most firearm manufacturers and dealers from using its platform the following year (2).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Shopify allows customers and stores using its service to donate through rounding and independent matching, respectively, and these programs do not exclude religious organizations (1)(2).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

The Shopify Code of Conduct 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

Shopify has engaged in some LGBTQ Pride-related advocacy on social media (1).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Shopify has pledged $1 million to the Black Lives Matter movement and related causes, including Campaign Zero (1)(2)(3). Shopify is a corporate partner of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (4).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
N/A
Rationale

Shopify does not have a PAC.

All links were last accessed and all information was updated on:
September 8, 2023

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