SAN FRANCISCO – Google has decided to eliminate certain diversity hiring goals, aligning itself with a growing number of U.S. companies that are scaling back or completely abandoning their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
This announcement was made in an email directed to Google employees on a Wednesday and comes in the aftermath of an executive order issued by former President Donald Trump, which aimed to pressure government contractors to eliminate their DEI efforts.
As is the case with several other major tech firms, Google provides various technologies and services to the federal government, including its expanding cloud division that plays a crucial role in its endeavors within artificial intelligence.
In addition, Google’s parent company, Alphabet, indicated this shift in its annual 10-K report submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission this week. Notably, Google removed a phrase from prior reports that expressed its commitment to integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion into all aspects of its operations and fostering a workforce reflective of its user base.
Google contributes significantly to Alphabet’s annual revenue, which amounts to $350 billion, and holds nearly the entirety of its global workforce of 183,000 employees.
In a statement, Google reassured that its commitment remains to foster a workplace where every employee can thrive and access equal opportunities. They mentioned the ongoing review of their programs aimed at achieving these objectives. “We’ve updated our 10-K language to reflect this, and as a federal contractor, our teams are also evaluating changes required following recent court decisions and executive orders on this topic,” the statement read.
This adjustment in messaging comes shortly after Google CEO Sundar Pichai and various influential tech leaders, including Tesla’s Elon Musk, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Apple’s Tim Cook, and Meta Platforms’ Mark Zuckerberg, publicly supported Trump during his inauguration.
Recently, Meta discontinued its DEI initiatives, while Amazon paused some of its programs in December following Trump’s electoral victory. Companies in other industries have also retreated from DEI commitments, including well-known names such as Walt Disney Co., McDonald’s, Ford, Walmart, Target, Lowe’s, and John Deere.
Trump’s executive order threatens financial penalties for federal contractors found to have “illegal” DEI initiatives. Should these companies face accusations of violations, they run the risk of significant financial ramifications under the 1863 False Claims Act, which stipulates that contractors making false claims could be held accountable for triple the government’s losses.
The order also instructs federal agencies to initiate investigations against publicly traded companies, large non-profits, and entities with DEI policies that may represent “illegal discrimination or preference.”
Companies face the daunting task of determining which DEI practices the Trump administration might categorize as “illegal.” The executive order aims to abolish any discriminatory or unlawful preferences, mandates, policies, or programs enacted by the federal government and urges federal bodies to combat private-sector DEI preferences viewed as unlawful.
Throughout both public and private sectors, diversity initiatives typically encompass a variety of practices, such as anti-discrimination training, pay equity assessments, and active recruitment of underrepresented groups and women.
Google, headquartered in Mountain View, California, has made efforts to recruit more individuals from underrepresented backgrounds for over a decade, accelerating these initiatives in 2020. The police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis ignited widespread calls for social justice. Following this event, Pichai set a goal of increasing the representation of underrepresented groups within Google’s predominantly Asian and white leadership by 30% by 2025. While some progress has been made, the overall composition of leadership has not seen drastic changes.
According to Google’s annual diversity report, the percentage of Black individuals in leadership increased from 2.6% in 2020 to 5.1% last year, while the percentage of Hispanic leaders rose from 3.7% to 4.3%. The proportion of women in leadership roles also climbed from 26.7% in 2020 to 32.8% in 2024.
The overall workforce representation at Google shows Black employees comprising 5.7%, with Latino employees making up 7.5%. Additionally, men account for two-thirds of Google’s global staff, as indicated in the diversity report.
