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On January 20, 2023, Sundar Pichai announced layoffs of approximately 12,000 employees (6% of workforce). Many received automated emails in the middle of the night and were locked out of corporate accounts immediately, including decades-long veterans, an employee on health leave, and an employee in labor. Pichai later admitted in December 2023 that it was 'not the right way to do it' and that it created 'a big impact on morale.' Over 1,300 employees later signed a job security petition. Workers asked for voluntary redundancies before compulsory ones, and freezing new hires.

In January 2023, state-backed entities took stakes in two Alibaba subsidiaries overseeing a video platform and web browser. The 'golden shares' allow state-backed entity to install board member with veto rights over content review processes. Alibaba confirmed a state-owned multimedia entity has the right to appoint a director with veto power over content decisions. Cyberspace Administration of China requires elaborate AI model reviews.

In 2022-2023, several Sequoia Capital India portfolio companies were embroiled in corporate governance scandals. BharatPe, where Sequoia held 19.6% shares as largest shareholder, faced allegations of financial irregularities. GoMechanic's founders were found to have committed fraud, leading Sequoia to write off its investment. Trell and Zillingo also faced governance issues. Sequoia publicly stated it would 'not tolerate any financial irregularity' and engaged Ernst & Young for audits. The pattern raised questions about Sequoia's portfolio oversight and due diligence practices in its India operations.

Stability AI built its Stable Diffusion image generation model using the LAION dataset of 5 billion images scraped from the internet without creator consent or licensing. Visual artists filed a class action (Andersen v. Stability AI) in January 2023, and Getty Images sued in February 2023 over infringement of 12 million+ photographs. A leaked Midjourney spreadsheet cataloged 4,700+ artist names whose styles were specifically targeted. Trial is set for September 2026.

Coinbase conducted major workforce reductions: 1,100 employees (18% of workforce) in June 2022 and 950 employees (20% of remaining workforce) in January 2023. CEO Brian Armstrong stated they 'grew too quickly' during the bull market. The technology and development division saw a 24% headcount reduction. Restructuring costs were $149-163 million in Q1 2023.

In January 2023, Ant Group announced restructuring so Jack Ma no longer controlled the company. Ma's voting rights fell from over 50% to 6.2%. Ten major shareholders began using voting rights independently, no longer acting in concert. Changes came as Ant neared completion of two-year regulatory restructuring. Chinese authorities imposed $984 million fine on Ant and units in July 2023 for allegedly breaking consumer protection and corporate governance rules.

New York state regulators levied a $50 million fine against Coinbase for failing to build and maintain a functional compliance program to prevent money laundering. Regulators found significant deficiencies in Coinbase's anti-money laundering controls and know-your-customer procedures.

In January 2023, CEO Marc Benioff announced the dismissal of approximately 7,000 employees, roughly 10% of Salesforce's workforce. The announcement was made via a two-hour all-hands meeting over a video call, a method Benioff later admitted had been a 'bad idea.' Benioff attributed the layoffs to over-hiring during the pandemic, stating 'I hired too many people leading into this economic downturn.'

Google Health developed and deployed AI-powered medical diagnostic tools across multiple domains: partnering with Nexus Intelligence for TB screening from chest x-rays in endemic countries, collaborating with Mayo Clinic on AI-assisted cancer radiotherapy planning, and building AI models to expand ultrasound access for healthcare providers with limited training. In January 2025, Google released MedGemma 1.5, an open medical AI model for interpreting 3D CT/MRI scans and histopathology images. These tools aim to improve diagnostic accuracy and accessibility in resource-limited healthcare settings.

Dell Technologies' closed-loop recycling program recovered over 2.5 billion pounds of used electronics since 2007, becoming an industry leader in e-waste recovery and using recycled materials in new products.

Oracle CEO Safra Catz initiated and led a partnership with the United Negro College Fund over 20 years ago, through which the company has provided over $12 million in scholarships and internships. Oracle also created its first DE&I team in 2009, launched an Executive Diversity Council, and maintains multiple employee resource groups including networks for diverse abilities, LGBTQ+ employees, cultural harmony, indigenous employees, and intergenerational collaboration.

Adobe has maintained carbon neutrality in global operations since 2019, reduced Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 47% from 2018 to 2023, and accelerated its 100% renewable electricity goal from 2035 to 2025. The company set near-term targets including 42% reduction in absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions and 52% reduction in Scope 3 emissions per USD value added by FY 2030. In January 2023, Adobe opened Founders Tower, the first all-electric building of its scale powered by 100% renewable energy in Silicon Valley.

HelloBetter received Digital Health Application (DiGA) certification from Germany's Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices for six mental health programs. The certification means 73 million Germans can access the programs with 100% health insurance coverage. HelloBetter's evidence base of 33 peer-reviewed RCTs is the strongest globally for digital mental health interventions.

Mozilla Foundation cited Wysa for strong privacy practices in its Privacy Not Included review, calling it 'refreshing to see a mental health app' that doesn't monetize personal information. Wysa received the Mozilla 'Best Of' 2023 recognition. The app is GDPR compliant and registered as a data controller with UK ICO.

OneWeb has established industry-leading orbital sustainability practices through its 'Responsible Space' initiative. The company designed its 648-satellite constellation with built-in debris mitigation: all satellites include propulsion for active deorbiting at end of life, orbit at lower altitudes (1,200km) than Starlink for faster natural decay, and maintain collision avoidance protocols. OneWeb has committed to zero long-lived debris and publishes orbital data for transparency.

Multiple investigations by China Labor Watch (2016, 2023) found labor abuses in factories supplying ASUS, including excessive overtime, forced labor, low wages, inadequate training, workers going three months without a day off, and use of student interns. ASUS was also identified by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute as potentially benefiting from Uyghur forced labor in its supply chain.

iFixit built and maintains a free, open wiki-style platform containing over 100,000 step-by-step repair guides covering more than 30,000 devices. The platform empowers consumers to repair their own electronics, reducing e-waste and extending device lifetimes. All content is licensed under Creative Commons.

GyroGear raised $4.3 million in seed funding led by Foxconn Technology Group (£1 million investment), with participation from Fidelium Group and UK Government Future Fund. The funding supports development of GyroGlove, a hand-stabilizing device for people with Parkinson's disease and hand tremors, demonstrating commitment to accessibility innovation.

In 2023, AMD launched Advancing Women in Tech, a comprehensive learning experience designed to empower, retain and support AMD women in technical careers. The program was completed by over 230 women in its inaugural year and expanded with additional cohorts in 2024. This initiative is part of AMD's broader DEI commitment, with a goal for 70% of employees to participate in employee resource groups and inclusion initiatives by 2025. In 2024, 61% of AMD employees contributed to activities under this goal.

The FSF has sustained advocacy campaigns against proprietary surveillance technology and for user privacy. Key efforts include maintaining comprehensive documentation of proprietary surveillance practices by companies like Microsoft and Apple, publishing the Email Self-Defense Guide for encryption, campaigning against centralized web services that enable mass surveillance like PRISM, and advocating for decentralized free software alternatives. The FSF frames software freedom as essential to privacy, arguing that proprietary software inherently enables surveillance since users cannot inspect what the software does with their data.

In 2023, Qualcomm achieved its 2025 GHG emissions goal two years ahead of schedule, reducing Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions by over 35% compared to a 2014 baseline. The company reached a 100% renewable electricity milestone covering all global offices and R&D centers. Qualcomm has committed to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across its value chain by 2040, with interim goals to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50% and Scope 3 by 25% by 2030 from 2020 baseline. The company is a member of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and achieved Climate Registered Platinum status.

In 2023, Mullvad completed migration of all its VPN servers to diskless, RAM-only operation. This means all server data is lost when power is cut, making it physically impossible to recover any user data even if servers are seized. This represented a significant investment in privacy infrastructure beyond what was legally required.

Before its 2025 DEI rollback, Google had built substantial diversity programs. It achieved its racial equity commitment goal of increasing leadership representation of Black, Latino, and Native American employees by 30% — three years ahead of its 2025 target. Women's leadership rose from 30.6% to 34.1% by 2023. Women Techmakers, launched in 2012, provided visibility, community, and resources for women in technology worldwide. Google supported 16+ employee resource groups and offered 24 weeks paid maternity leave and 18 weeks paternity leave. The company also offered gender reassignment surgery coverage and cryopreservation for transitioning employees.

Before its 2024 DEI rollback, Amazon had built substantial diversity infrastructure. Its 13 employee affinity groups had 130,000+ members in 2,000+ chapters across 58 countries. Glamazon, the LGBTQIA+ group formalized in 2005, grew to 20,000+ members across 80 global chapters. Amazon doubled representation of Black directors and VPs in 2020, provided transgender healthcare including hormone therapy and gender transition coverage, and committed $53M to female climate tech entrepreneurs. CEO Jeff Bezos received the Human Rights Campaign National Equality Award in 2017.

Reuters investigation documented 600+ previously unreported workplace injuries at SpaceX since 2014, including crushed limbs, amputations, head injuries, and one death. Brownsville facility recorded 5.9 injuries per 100 workers vs 0.8 industry average in 2023. Current and former employees described a 'chaotic workplace' where speed was prioritized over safety. OSHA issued $115,850 fine after crane collapse injured worker in Nov 2024.

Oracle Academy works with educators globally to prepare students for technology careers, offering academic institutions and educators free teaching and learning resources including curricula, cloud technology, software, and professional development opportunities. The program advances technology education, skills development, innovation, and inclusion across diverse communities.

Corsair rates 2.8 out of 5 stars on Glassdoor based on 214 reviews, with only 35% of employees recommending the company. Assembly workers report subpar pay, poor training, mandatory overtime, and an extremely strict tardiness policy that docks 2 hours of unpaid time off for arriving just 1-2 minutes late. Reviews describe being overworked and underpaid with minimal raises.

Cisco has been a founding member of the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) and participates in the Responsible Minerals Initiative, Responsible Labor Initiative, and Clean Electronics Production Network. The company conducts conflict minerals due diligence with 70% of reported smelters conformant to third-party standards in 2023. Cisco publicly called on global leaders to strengthen laws against forced labor and maintains a 24/7 multi-language ethics reporting hotline for supply chain workers.

Under Cook's leadership, Apple continued to rely on Foxconn as its primary manufacturer despite repeated China Labor Watch investigations documenting forced overtime (60-75 hours/week vs. China's legal maximum), wage withholding, recruitment discrimination against Uyghur, Tibetan, Yi and Hui ethnic minorities, and sexual harassment. A 2023 CLW report alleged Apple representatives were aware of these practices during iPhone production.

Between 2012 and 2022, Larry Page and Lucinda Southworth sent 99.9% of the dollars they granted from the Carl Victor Page Memorial Foundation to donor-advised funds. Over $1.2 billion was given to DAFs, making it impossible to track whether the money ever reached working charities. This was characterized as 'philanthropic sleight of hand' by critics.