Google has removed the names of more than 50 DEI groups from a list of companies to which it substantially contributes, according to a new watchdog report and as reported by CNBC.
The list, Google’s 2024 selection of groups and organizations backed by Google’s U.S. Government Affairs and Public Policy team, no longer features the names of 58 DEI groups, including the Latino Leadership Alliance and the ACLU of Illinois.
When reached for comment, a spokesperson for Google gave the following statement: “This report mischaracterizes our public policy contributions. We contribute to hundreds of groups from across the political spectrum that advocate for pro-innovation policies, and those groups change from year to year based on where our contributions will have the most impact.”
The discovery of the changes comes after the Trump administration said it would target companies openly showing support for DEI. CNBC points out it’s unclear if Google is secretly still supporting these groups, however.
This past year, Google said it would no longer have diversity hiring goals, after it removed language referring to “underrepresented” groups from its grant website and removed mention of “diversity” and “equity” from its responsible AI web page; it also removed mention of DEI from its 10-K filings this year.
The groups dropped from Google’s funding list had mission statements using words like “race” and “women,” terms the Trump administration instructed federal agencies to dial back on using, the report said.
This piece was updated to add a response from Google’s spokesperson.
