Microsoft Is More Ethical Than Google, Apple, Or Facebook (2024)

Matt Rosoff

2011-03-16T19:49:00Z

Microsoft Is More Ethical Than Google, Apple, Or Facebook (1) Microsoft Is More Ethical Than Google, Apple, Or Facebook (2)

Google's motto may be "do no evil," but that hasn't fooled an organization that rates the most ethical companies in the world.

This year, the Ethisphere Institute named Microsoft to its list of its 110 most ethical companies in the world, but Google didn't make the list.

Neither did Apple or Facebook.

More than 3,000 companies applied to be on the list. Ethisphere ranks them based on factors like history of regulatory infractions, sustainable business practices, and peer nominations.

Microsoft Is More Ethical Than Google, Apple, Or Facebook (3)

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Microsoft started to make a big "corporate citizenship" push in the early 2000s following the negative fallout from its antitrust trials, and has since donated millions to non-profits, invested in programs for economic development, and tightened up its internal reporting processes. All of this was apparently enough to get the company on the list this year.

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Any company that has had significant legal trouble in the last five years automatically gets kicked off the list, which means that the EU's antitrust investigation into Google probably sank it.

Other tech companies that made the list include Adobe, Cisco, eBay, Salesforce, and Symantec. Weirdly, Zappos is also on the list, even though Amazon -- which bought Zappos in 2009 -- is not.

On February 28, Axel Springer, Business Insider's parent company, joined 31 other media groups and filed a $2.3 billion suit against Google in Dutch court, alleging losses suffered due to the company's advertising practices.

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Microsoft Is More Ethical Than Google, Apple, Or Facebook (2024)

FAQs

Which company is more ethical Microsoft or Google? ›

Many people might not believe that Microsoft, the company that a decade ago was often known as “the evil empire,” is now one of the most “ethical” internet companies, beating out Google, Apple, Yahoo, Facebook and other well-known online brands.

Does Microsoft have good ethics? ›

We have high ethical standards governing the way we conduct our business, standards that we also apply to our suppliers and business partners. Our business practices and standards reflect our commitment to making a positive impact around the globe.

What ethical issues has Microsoft faced? ›

Microsoft's journey to becoming one of the most influential technology companies globally has not been without its controversies and ethical concerns. From anti-competitive behavior and privacy issues to labor practices and environmental impact, the company has faced criticisms and calls for improved accountability.

Is Apple an ethical company? ›

Are Apple Products ethical? Apple requires all its supplies to treat workers fairly and use environmental-friendly methods in production. However, this is far from preventing all unethical practices such as child labour, e-waste, or unsafe working environments that still exist in certain parts of the world.

Which is safer Microsoft or Google? ›

Final verdict

Both Google and Microsoft have a strong regard for security and data privacy, so with this in mind, you wouldn't go wrong with choosing either platform.

Which company is better Google or Microsoft? ›

Google scored higher in 4 areas: Overall rating, Work-life balance, Compensation & Benefits and Career opportunities.

What are the ethical principles of Microsoft? ›

Microsoft outlines six key principles for responsible AI: accountability, inclusiveness, reliability and safety, fairness, transparency, and privacy and security.

What is the most ethical computer company? ›

Dell Technologies Recognized as One of the World's Most Ethical Companies for the 11th Year in a Row. We are honored to announce that Dell Technologies has once again been recognized by the Ethisphere Institute as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies in 2023.

What is Facebook's code of ethics? ›

Act lawfully, honestly, ethically and in the best interests of Facebook and our Facebook users at all times. Complete required training, use the Code of Conduct and speak up when you have a question or concern. Cooperate with Company investigations.

What problems are Microsoft facing? ›

It is facing several trends and challenges including increased competition, increasing speed of business, rising client expectations, digital delivery of services, and the need to adapt to rapidly changing technological advances.

What are the allegations against Microsoft? ›

The U.S. government accused Microsoft of illegally monopolizing the web browser market for Windows, primarily through the legal and technical restrictions it put on the abilities of PC manufacturers (OEMs) and users to uninstall Internet Explorer and use other programs such as Netscape and Java.

Did Microsoft fire their ethics team? ›

Despite the existing ethical issues with artificial intelligence and large language models such as those used in Bing, Microsoft has just fired the remainder of its “Ethics & Society” team.

Is Google ethical? ›

As part of Alphabet, Google has an unwavering commitment to prohibiting and effectively responding to harassment, discrimination, misconduct, abusive conduct, and retaliation.

What is the bad Apple theory in business ethics? ›

The theory of 'bad apple' thus suggests that an organization should be vigilant in monitoring the behaviour of its employees in order to maintain a high ethical standard.

What is the ethical score of Apple? ›

The 2022 Corporate Human Rights Benchmark assessed 127 companies in the food and agriculture, ICT and automotive manufacturing sectors on their human rights performance. This company received a score of 31.6%. The overall average score was a disappointing 17.3% and the highest score was 50.3%.

Which big tech company is the most ethical? ›

  • World's Most Ethical Companies.
  • 2024.
  • Dell.
  • HP.
  • IBM.
  • Juniper Networks.
  • Western Digital.
  • Dell.
Mar 5, 2024

Is Google an ethical company to work for? ›

Is Google considered an ethical company? Google has been named multiple times among the Ethisphere Institute's “World's Most Ethical Companies” due to its contributions to the community and the environment, building its reputation as an ethical company that outperforms competitors.

Has Google had any ethical issues? ›

For instance, when Google created an ethics board to guide "responsible development of AI" at the organization, thousands petitioned for the removal of a board member who made concerning comments about trans people and whose company was skeptical of climate change.

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