Google is scaling back its diversity goals and policies in response to President Donald Trump’s opposition to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. The tech giant has joined a growing list of U.S. companies pulling back from diversity initiatives.
In its annual report released Wednesday, Alphabet removed language from previous years that emphasized a commitment to DEI and building a workforce reflective of its user base.
Alphabet’s chief people officer, Fiona Cicconi, informed employees in a memo that adjustments were necessary due to evolving federal requirements.
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She explained that as a federal contractor, Google must evaluate its programs to comply with recent court rulings and executive orders. While the company will continue investing in various states and international markets, it will no longer maintain aspirational DEI targets.
“Because we are a federal contractor, our teams are also evaluating changes to our programs required to comply with recent court decisions and U.S. Executive Orders on this topic,” Cicconi wrote in the memo. “We’ll continue to invest in states across the U.S. — and in many countries globally — but in the future we will no longer have aspirational goals.”
The Wall Street Journal was the first to report on the memo. Cicconi recalled that in 2020, Google had set hiring goals aimed at increasing representation, including expanding offices beyond California and New York.
Since returning to the White House in January, one of Trump’s first executive orders eliminated government DEI programs and placed federal officials overseeing them on leave. Following a recent midair collision involving an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter over Washington, D.C., Trump criticized former President Joe Biden and DEI policies, suggesting they “could have been” a factor in the country’s deadliest plane crash since 2001.
READ ALSO: Trump attacks DEI policies after deadly DC plane crash
Tech companies have been swift to align with the new administration after strained relations during Trump’s first term. In January, Amazon announced it was pausing certain DEI initiatives, while Meta revealed plans to wind down internal programs designed to boost diversity hiring. Other major corporations, including Target, Walmart, and McDonald’s, have also adjusted their policies.
Google’s previous 2025 commitments aimed to increase leadership representation of underrepresented groups by 30% and more than double the number of Black employees at non-senior levels. However, the company began downsizing its DEI programs in 2023, cutting recruitment staff focused on diverse hiring and eliminating DEI leadership positions.
Chief Diversity Officer Melonie Parker, who has led Google’s diversity initiatives since 2019, will oversee an assessment of existing programs and training, updating those that present risks or fail to deliver the intended impact. Cicconi assured employees that Google’s employee resource groups and collaborations with colleges and universities would remain intact.
A Google spokesperson reaffirmed the company’s stance, stating it remains committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where all employees have equal opportunities.
In a statement to CNBC, the spokesperson said the company is “committed to creating a workplace where all our employees can succeed and have equal opportunities, and over the last year we’ve been reviewing our programs designed to help us get there.”
