Verizon

Verizon’s approach to accessibility is a leading practice. Products such as screen readers and alternate-input devices accommodate various disabilities. The company also asks a range of stakeholders, including Verizon employees and people with disabilities, for feedback on these products. Through the Verizon Innovative Learning programme, young women from rural areas of the United States learn skills such as 3D design, coding and app development. Participants also receive mentoring for careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics at summer camps held at community colleges that partner with Verizon.

The Verizon Innovative Learning programme is an example of leading practice in digital skills development for vulnerable groups in the United States, including young men of colour. The programme also supports middle school connectivity in under-resourced areas by providing computers, internet access and teacher training in using technology for learning. Further, Verizon has commissioned a third-party impact assessment of the programme, and reports detailed results.

Verizon demonstrates leading security practices in its operations. The company’s privacy policy discloses how it shares user information and how users can obtain their information. The company also publishes a report on government requests for user information. Verizon shows commitment to child online safety and has product features and initiatives in this area.

Verizon is an active participant in developing industry standards and supporting open source projects. It has multiple GitHub accounts and collaborates with universities on various projects. The company supports the technology innovation ecosystem through its venture capital investments, and provides start-ups with mentorship through its 5G Labs and other accelerator programmes.

To further demonstrate its commitment to supporting people with disabilities, Verizon could report how many of its employees live with disabilities. There is also an opportunity for the company to report on how it is making its workplace more inclusive for employees with disabilities. The company could enhance its transparency by reporting how it distributes the economic value it creates among its stakeholders.

Although Verizon supports technical digital skills development and school connectivity, there is an opportunity for the company to leverage its Verizon Innovative Learning programme for developing basic and intermediate digital skills.

While Verizon describes its approach to cybersecurity in a clear manner, it could be more transparent on how this approach works in practice. Though the company publishes an industry report on data breaches, the company should follow best practice and disclose its own number of data breaches.

Verizon has an opportunity to improve transparency on ethical considerations in its research activities. The company is also well positioned to share big data on a regular basis with researchers working on sustainability issues, as it did during the COVID-19 pandemic. Verizon could also report on efforts to make innovation more inclusive and diverse, such as by disclosing the number of women it employs in technical roles.