Company: GOOGL
Filing Date: 2025-04-25
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0001308179-25-000511
Chunk: 83

Company: Alphabet Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-04-25
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 83
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 determining what users see and can result in and exacerbate systemic discrimination and human rights violations. 2Google’s current ad infrastructure is driven by third-party cookies, which enable entities to track users online by accumulating significant personal data -- putting user privacy at risk. Despite these risks, Alphabet’s measures to address privacy shortcomings and broader human rights concerns appear to be limited. Google’s Al Principles commit to “considering and assessing new Al projects, products and deals” by integrating “human rights due diligence [as] part of that process.” 3However, in Q2 alone, Alphabet announced over 30 new ads features and products “to help advertisers leverage Al and keep pace with the evolving expectations of customers and users” 4-- yet shareholders lack clarity on what human rights due diligence efforts were made to identify and address risks from these products. Additionally, Alphabet’s current policies and practices appear to be insufficient to manage such risks. For instance, Alphabet’s 2023 Ads Safety report does not provide shareholders with clarity on which platforms generated bad ads, what “inappropriate content” entails, and whether such ads could generate or have generated harms, such as discrimination. Inadequate human rights due diligence measures may also expose Alphabet to regulatory risk. The Digital Services Act requires companies like Alphabet to take measures to integrate human rights considerations into their handling of user data and algorithmic decision-making. The EU’s Artificial Intelligence Act will also regulate the development and use of Al. Alphabet’s 2023 Annual Report stated that Alphabet is “expanding [its] investment in Al across the entire company.” 5In Alphabet’s 2024 Q3 earnings call, Alphabet confirmed significant and growing investments in Al to grow its advertising business. 6If Alphabet fails to implement effective human rights due diligence to manage harms stemming from its Al-driven targeted advertising technology, a central pillar of Alphabet’s business, Alphabet may expose shareholders to significant regulatory, legal, financial and reputational risk. In 2019, Google published a summary of a third-party Assessment of a celebrity facial recognition algorithm. 7Alphabet’s targeted advertising technology, which affect billions, deserves the same due diligence. Alphabet has one of the largest footprints of any entity in the world. A robust Assessment is essential for Alphabet to mitigate risk and will provide shareholders with more clarity on Alphabet’s human rights due diligence efforts.

| (1) | https://abc.xyz/assets/52/88/5de1d06943cebc569ee3aa3a6ded/goog023-alphabet-2023