CALIFORNIA, US – Alphabet, Google’s parent company, has quietly abandoned its longstanding commitment to workplace diversity and inclusion, as revealed in a regulatory filing on Wednesday.
The change, disclosed in the company’s annual 10-K report to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), signals a shift away from its previous diversity pledges.
A line in last year’s filing affirming Alphabet’s dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) was conspicuously absent from the latest report.
The now-removed statement read: “At Alphabet, we are committed to making diversity, equity, and inclusion part of everything we do and to growing a workforce that is representative of the users we serve.”
Internally, Google employees were reportedly informed that the company would no longer set hiring targets based on race or gender.
A Google spokesperson, responding to an inquiry from AFP, stated that the company remains “committed to creating a workplace where all our employees can succeed and have equal opportunities,” but is reassessing diversity-related programs in light of evolving legal and regulatory frameworks.
“As a federal contractor, our teams are also evaluating changes required following recent court decisions and executive orders on this topic,” the spokesperson added.
The shift comes against the backdrop of an aggressive push by President Donald Trump’s administration to dismantle DEI initiatives.
Last month, Trump issued an executive order declaring such programs unlawful, part of a broader conservative effort to roll back corporate diversity policies.
Alphabet’s filing was released just a day after Google revised its artificial intelligence (AI) principles, notably removing previous assurances that it would not deploy AI for weapons or surveillance.
These updates follow Google CEO Sundar Pichai’s recent attendance at Trump’s inauguration, where leading tech executives convened amid the administration’s rapid deregulation efforts.
In one of his first acts in office, Trump revoked an executive order from his predecessor, Joe Biden, which had imposed safety and accountability measures on AI development.
Companies at the forefront of AI innovation now face fewer regulatory requirements, including obligations to disclose test results that indicate significant risks posed by their technologies to national security, the economy, or the public.
With corporate diversity initiatives and AI oversight both under renewed scrutiny, Alphabet’s latest moves reflect a broader recalibration of Big Tech’s priorities in the current political climate.
