The legislators called a racial equity audit “long overdue,” but said it would only amount to an initial step — Google must also increase efforts to hire a diverse workforce and continually evaluate its policies and products for potential discriminatory harms, they wrote.
Google spokespeople did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Civil rights in the spotlight: Google is the latest Silicon Valley behemoth to face pressure to examine its impact on individuals and communities of color. Facebook completed a civil rights audit in 2020 after facing calls from civil rights groups and legislators to review whether its policies adequately addressed racial discrimination and voter suppression.
Color of Change, an influential civil rights group active on tech issues, in April sent a separate letter to Google calling on the company to let independent auditors review the company’s civil rights and racial equity practices. The group, which was a driving force in the push to get Facebook to commit to conducting a civil rights audit in 2018, said it was concerned concerning the spread of white nationalist and extremist content on Google products, among other issues.
Their push to get Google to make a similar commitment gained several prominent backers this week via the letter, which was signed by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), in addition to Booker (D-N.J.).
A powerful ally: Booker, a previous 2020 presidential contender, has emerged as a top negotiator for Democrats in recent discussions about police reform and civil rights on Capitol Hill. In the past he has pressed top tech companies including Facebook to take greater steps to address biases and potential discriminatory harms across their products.