Alphabet

Alphabet supports affordable access for low–income households in the United States through free subscriptions to its fibre–optic broadband service. In India, the company is enhancing digital opportunities for rural women by working with Tata Trusts to teach digital literacy using a ‘train the trainer’ model. Alphabet has a range of initiatives supporting accessibility for users with disabilities, including in its products and by participating in international design standards. The company also discloses the number of employees with disabilities and solicits their feedback on product design and making workplaces more accessible. Alphabet calculates its indirect economic impact in the United States.  

Alphabet supports digital skills development by providing grants to organisations that help people prepare for the changing nature of work. One such grant goes to the Goodwill Digital Career Accelerator®, which enables more than 1 million people across the United States to learn career–relevant digital skills. The company also sponsors the Million Sparks Foundation, supporting it to deliver its digital platform that provides teacher training content across India. The Code with Google programme offers a free curriculum and computer science tools to build coding skills among students in the United States, including those from under–represented groups. 

Alphabet follows best practice in monitoring and responding to security incidents, and discloses the number and type of requests for user information from government agencies around the world. The company stands out for forming partnerships with authorities and civil society groups to fight online harm to children. 

Alphabet demonstrates best practice in open innovation with an open source repository, and advocates extensively for open standards and open source. The company also supports non-profit research by providing Google Cloud credits to academic researchers. To promote technology innovation ecosystems, it has regional accelerators for start-ups around the world, provides capital to new ventures, and funds non-profit and social entrepreneurs. Alphabet follows best practice for diverse, inclusive and ethical innovation by reporting the number of women employed in technical roles, disclosing the locations of its research and development (R&D) centres, and working on incorporating ethical principles in its R&D activities. 

In its support for affordable digital technologies, Alphabet could improve transparency by reporting the number of participants, its financial contribution and the impacts. It has an opportunity to follow best practice and disclose how the economic value it generates is distributed among stakeholders in its markets.  

Alphabet could systematically report on all digital skills programmes it supports, including the number of participants, company contributions and positive impacts for beneficiaries. 

Alphabet should improve its transparency on cybersecurity governance and disclose the line of responsibility at a group level. Similarly, the company should report the number of its data breaches according to international standards.  

Alphabet stands out in its approach to open, inclusive and ethical innovation. However, it has an opportunity to commit to supporting global sustainable development goals. One way it can do this is by reporting details about its venture capital portfolio, such as the number and locations of women-led start-ups.