DEI Tech Corporate Watch
In a time when diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts are increasingly under political and cultural attack, DEISTEMCorpwatch is committed to protecting transparency and accountability across STEM industries.We track DEI-related spending and highlight both the leaders driving meaningful change and the forces undermining progress. Through data, research, and weekly insights, we expose under-reported initiatives and ensure that companies and institutions are not just signaling values—but living them.By providing clear metrics, public accountability tools, and positive recognition for companies upholding inclusive practices, we aim to defend the integrity of DEI work and ensure that equity remains a measurable, visible, and unstoppable force in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.We outline two major categories:
1. "DEI-retreating": STEM/Tech companies that have scaled back or ended their DEI policies
2. "Pro-DEI": STEM/Tech companies that are strengthening or are committed to their DEI policiesThrough challenging DEI-retreating companies and celebrating Pro-DEI ones, we strive to make a change, bringing back DEI policies where there are not. If you would like to contribute to our cause, please visit the third tab on the homepage to sign the petition.
Celebrations: Pro-DEI Companies
Microsoft (Technology, computer software)Microsoft has maintained a strong and public commitment to DEI as a core business priority. The company continues to invest in recruiting, developing, and retaining talent from diverse backgrounds, and regularly publishes detailed diversity and pay equity reports. Microsoft’s leadership, including CEO Satya Nadella, has consistently emphasized that diversity and inclusion are fundamental to driving innovation and creating products that serve a global community. According to The New York Times, Microsoft stands out for “doubling down” on DEI, sustaining robust programs and transparent reporting while others in the tech sector have retreated from similar initiatives. This ongoing commitment is reflected in Microsoft’s continued support for employee resource groups, inclusive hiring practices, and public accountability for progress on representation and equity.Major dates
October 2024: Microsoft released its 2024 Global Diversity & Inclusion Report, expanding transparency and reaffirming the business case for DEI in the age of AI.
January 2025: As other tech giants rolled back DEI programs, Microsoft publicly reaffirmed its dedication to diversity and inclusion, with leaders reiterating its importance for innovation and competitiveness.
Ongoing: Microsoft continues to publish annual diversity reports, invest in inclusive hiring and development, and embed DEI into its culture and operations.
Apple (Technology, consumer electronics)Apple has taken a firm stand against efforts to dismantle DEI initiatives. Apple’s board urged shareholders to reject a proposal from a conservative advocacy group aiming to abolish its DEI programs, asserting that such a measure would be “unnecessary” and would inappropriately restrict its operational autonomy. Over 97 percent of shareholders voted against the anti-DEI proposal.Major dates
January 2025: Apple’s board issues a proxy call urging rejection of the anti-DEI proposal
February 2025: Apple’s annual meeting where shareholders voted (~97%) to uphold DEI initiatives
Critiques: DEI-Retreating Companies
Adobe (Computer Software)Removal of board diversity disclosures, including data on women and racial minority representation, from SEC filings and public reports
Major datesMarch 2025: Adobe’s 2025 proxy statement removed all detailed diversity disclosures and the board diversity matrix that had been included in previous years.
April 2025: Adobe’s chief people officer announced in an internal all-hands meeting that the company would discontinue its DEI hiring targets, a move reported publicly on April 2, 2025
3M (Manufacturing, Technology, Chemicals)Removal of explicit references to DEI from the company’s website and public-facing materials, signaling a significant rollback of public commitment to DEI initiatives. Discontinuation of updates on workforce diversity data, elimination of language about racial equity and inclusion from its online presence.Major dates
February 2025: 3M removed all references to DEI from the official website, including statements about diversity, workforce demographic data, and commitments to racial equity. This change marked a clear shift away from the company’s previous public stance on DEI.
Google (Technology):Elimination of diversity hiring targets and significant rollback of DEI initiatives, including removal of longstanding diversity commitments from annual reports and potential discontinuation of diversity reporting altogether. The company has abandoned its 2020 pledge to increase representation of underrepresented groups by 30% by 2025.Major dates
February 2025: Google announced the elimination of all “aspirational hiring goals” related to diversity in an internal memo from Chief People Officer Fiona Cicconi, effectively ending its formal DEI hiring targets that had been in place since 2009. Google’s parent company Alphabet removed its longstanding commitment statement that it was “committed to making diversity, equity, and inclusion part of everything we do” from its 2024 10-K annual report.
Meta (Technology, Internet Services):Dismantling of the company’s DEI team, immediate termination of all major DEI programs, and elimination of explicit diversity hiring targets and supplier diversity initiatives. Discontinuation of equity and inclusion training programs and reassigned its Chief Diversity Officer to a new role focused on accessibility and engagement.Major dates
January 2025: Meta announced the immediate termination of its major DEI programs via an internal memo, ending minority-focused hiring and supplier diversity practices. The company also confirmed the reassignment of its Chief Diversity Officer and the end of representation goals for women and ethnic minorities.
