Verizon

OVERALL
Owned	USA
Rating

Telecommunications

USAs largest wireless communications service provider. Bought Yahoo! in 2016.


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Company Assessment

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INFORMATION

Verizon Communications Inc

100% on Corporate Equality Index

This company is listed as having best practice on a report card on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality in corporate America.
[Source 2017][More on Workers Rights]

22.1% in Newsweek Green Ranking 2017

This company received a score of 22.1/100 in the Newsweek Green Ranking 2017, which ranks the world's largest publicly traded companies on eight indicators covering energy, greenhouse gases, water, waste, fines and penalties, linking executive pay to sustainability targets, board-level committee oversight of environmental issues and third-party audits. Ranking methodology by Corporate Knights and HIP Investor.
[Source 2017][More on Sustainability Reporting]

Fined for violating privacy

This company was fined $1.35 million in 2016 by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for failing to tell wireless customers about a technology that tracked them as they traveled from site to site on the Internet.
[Source 2016][More on Governance]

Fined for "cramming"

This company was fined US$90 million in 2015 by the The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) after the conclusion of an investigation over "mobile cramming" allegations. The investigation hinged on a particularly dastardly method of revenue collection, wherein major carriers add seemingly minor increases to their customers bills for small fines and services. This tactic is referred to as "cramming".
[Source 2015][More on Governance]

Fined for using private data for marketing

This company was fined US$7.4 million in 2014 by the The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for using personal cellular data to market to customers without their consent. Verizon is accused of collecting detailed information about a customer's calling habits, like how many calls they made, what services they subscribe to, what numbers they dialed, and their geographic location whenever they placed a call. According to the FCC, Verizon "failed to generate the required opt-out notices" as early as 2006, making 2 million of its customers unknowing participants in the carrier's marketing plans. That data was then used to market Verizon's services to new customers.
[Source 2014][More on Governance]

Political donations

This company is on OpenSecrets.org's list of the 100 top donor organisations in US federal-level politics since 1989. Companies on this list lobby and spend big, with large sums sent to candidates, parties and leadership PACs. This company comes in at number 59 on the list, with donations totalling US$33,104,313 between 1989 and 2018.
[Source 2018][More on Politics]

Fined for overcharging customers

This company was fined a record $25 million in 2010 by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and agreed to refund an additional $52.8 million to customers to settle allegations that company overcharged as many as 15 million wireless subscribers over the previous three years for its so-called "pay-as-you-go" data plans. [Listed under Information due to age of court finding]
[Source 2010][More on Governance]

Excessive CEO pay

As You Sow's 2017 report, 'The 100 Most Overpaid CEOs', reveals the 100 most overpaid CEOs from USA's 500 largest public companies (as determined by the S&P 500 list). This company's CEO, Lowell McAdam came in at number 98 on the list, having been paid US$18,343,660 in 2015. According to the report, "Most CEOs have come to be grossly overpaid, and that overpayment is harmful to the companies, the shareholders, the customers, the other employees, the economy, and society as a whole."
[Source 2017][More on Finance]

Climate action commitments

As listed on the We Mean Business website, this company has committed to the following climate action initiatives: responsible corporate engagement in climate policy; report climate change information in mainstream reports as a fiduciary duty;
[Source 2017][More on Climate Change]

GeSI member

This company is a member of the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI), a leading source of impartial information, resources and best practices for achieving integrated social and environmental sustainability through Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
[Source 2016][More on Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives]

Responsible Minerals Initiative member

This company is a member of the Responsible Minerals Initiative (formerly the Conflict-Free Sourcing Initiative), which helps companies address conflict minerals issues in their supply chains. The RMI provides information on conflict-free smelters and refiners, common tools to gather sourcing information, and forums for exchanging best practices on addressing conflict minerals. Membership is open to companies that use or transact in tantalum, tin, tungsten or gold (3TG). Founded in 2008 by members of the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition and the Global e-Sustainability Initiative.
[Source 2014][More on Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives]

How2Recycle member

This company is a member of How2Recycle. The How2Recycle Label is a voluntary, standardized labeling system that clearly communicates recycling instructions to the public. It involves a coalition of forward thinking brands who want their packaging to be recycled and are empowering consumers through smart packaging labels. Companies must be a member of the program to use the How2Recycle Label.
[Source 2017][More on Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives]

PPA Participant

This company is a participant in the Public-Private Alliance for Responsible Minerals Trade (PPA), a multi-sector and multi-stakeholder initiative to support supply chain solutions to conflict minerals challenges in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Great Lakes Region (GLR) of Central Africa. The PPA provides funding and coordination support to organizations working within the region to develop verifiable conflict-free supply chains; align chain-of-custody programs and practices; encourage responsible sourcing from the region; promote transparency; and bolster in-region civil society and governmental capacity.
[Source 2014][More on Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives]

Green Grades Report card

C- grade on the 2011 Green Grades Report Card, which examines the paper practices of a dozen Fortune 500 companies that consume vast amounts of paper, (A best, F worst).
[Source 2011][More on Forests]

Conflict minerals rating

As You Sow's 2017 report, Mining the Disclosures, is a deep analysis of 206 companies' human rights performance in relation to sourcing conflict minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This company's score was above 50% (Adequate).
[Source 2017][More on Human Rights]

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