Vivendi - 1792 Exchange

Rating Overview

Vivendi is Medium Risk.

Vivendi is Medium Risk. The company often yields to political activism in shaping corporate governance, potentially alienating consumers, dividing employees, and harming shareholders. The company implements race and identity-based policies that replace merit, excellence, and integrity with preferential treatment and outcomes. The company occasionally embraces corporate initiatives that redirect its central focus from business goals to partisan policies and divisive issues at times. This approach fails to safeguard free exercise, free speech, and free enterprise.

Rating Criteria

Corporate Weaponization Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Cancellations	Medium Risk
Discriminatory Philanthropy	Lower Risk
Employment Protection	Lower Risk

Corporate Weaponization ⓘ

Corporate Governance and Public Policy Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Advocacy Bias	High Risk
Funding	High Risk
Political Actions	Lower Risk

Corporate Governance and Public Policy ⓘ

Rating Criteria Detail

Criteria Risk Level Rationale

Corporate Weaponization

Criteria:

Has canceled 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:

Medium

Rationale:

Havas was a member of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media, which demonetized and suppressed content that it deemed to spread “hate speech” or “misinformation”, discuss “debated social issues in a negative or partisan context”, or “vilif[y]” individuals based on sexual orientation and gender identity. These arbitrary guidelines were used to censor mainstream perspectives online (1)(2)(3). Vivendi has committed to various ESG goals, even tying executive pay to outcomes (4)(5). However, the company has not canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (6).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Vivendi does not discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or beliefs (1).

Criteria:

Employment policies fail to protect against viewpoint or other discrimination and/or are ideological in nature.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Vivendi does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (1).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria:

Uses corporate reputation to support causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Vivendi signed the French Business Climate Pledge and joined Ecoprod, pledging to achieve carbon neutrality and fight the “climate emergency” (1)(2). The company and its subsidiaries have committed to ideological climate and DEI-related practices (3). Canal+ Group, one of Vivendi’s subsidiaries, has defined its diversity and inclusion policy based on five key priorities: gender equality, health and disability, generational diversity, racial diversity and the LGBTQ+ community (4). Havas Group’s CEO is a signatory to CEOs for Gun Safety (5).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

After the overturning of Roe v. Wade, a spokesperson from Vivendi subsidiary Havas stated that the company was “discussing various ways to meaningfully support [its] employees” (1). However, it is unclear whether Havas decided to provide corporate funds to employees seeking abortions. Havas was a member of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (2)(3)(4). Vivendi has held several benefit events and donated the proceeds to the Black Lives Matter organization (5)(6).

Criteria:

Uses corporate political actions and/or financial contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

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