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Oath

OVERALL

Owned
USA
Rating
Criticisms

Internet services

Created by Verizon in 2017 to serve as an umbrella company for its digital content subdivisions, including AOL and Yahoo!.

Company Ownership

Oath Inc   USA     website      facebook   twitter
  Verizon Communications Inc   
   owns 100% of Oath Inc  
USA     website      facebook   twitter

Telecommunications

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

> About the Ratings

Company Assessment

PRAISE CRITICISM INFORMATION
Oath Inc
Environment B rating at ClickClean.org
Greenpeace's 2017 report 'Clicking Clean' looks at the energy footprints of large data centre operators and popular websites and applications, and calls on these companies to power their data centres on renewable energy. Companies are graded (A,B,C,D,F) on their commitment to and procurement of renewable energy, as well as energy efficiency, transparency and advocacy. This company's final grade was B.
Source: Greenpeace (2017)
Business Ethics 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, Marissa A. Mayer came in at number 11 on the list, having been paid US$35,981,107 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: As You Sow (2017)
Business Ethics OpenSecrets.org profile
OpenSecrets.org tracks the influence of money on U.S. politics, and how that money affects policy and citizens' lives. Follow link to see this company's record of political donations, lobbying, outside spending and more.
Source: Open Secrets (2014)
Information Criticism of Yahoo! - Wikipedia
Yahoo! has received criticism for a variety of issues. Follow link for full rundown.
Source: Wikipedia (2014)
Verizon Communications Inc
Business Ethics 72.3% at JUST Capital
JUST Capital polls Americans every year to identify the issues that matter most in defining just business behaviour. For their 2021 rankings the public identified 19 issues, which are organised under the headings Workers, Communities, Customers, Shareholders and Environment. JUST Capital then define metrics that map to those issues and track and analyse the largest, publicly traded U.S. companies. This analysis powers their rankings, in which this company ranked 42th of 928 companies, and 2nd of 6 Telecommunications companies.
Source: JUST Capital (2020)
Social 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: Human Rights Campaign (2020)
Business Ethics 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: Newsweek (2017)
Social US defense contracts
This company was among the US Top 20 Defense Contractors derived from the 2019 Washington Technology Top 100 list, based on their 2018 defense contract revenue. Microsoft was number 17 with a defense revenue of US$931 million.
Source: Washington Technology (2019)
Business Ethics 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: news article (2015)
Business Ethics 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: news article (2014)
Business Ethics 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: news article (2016)
Business Ethics 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: Open Secrets (2018)
Business Ethics 33/100 S&P Global ESG Score
This company received an S&P Global ESG Score of 33/100 in the Telecommunication Services category of the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment, an annual evaluation of companies' sustainability practices (last updated 7 Feb 2021). The rankings are based on an analysis of corporate economic, environmental and social performance, assessing issues such as corporate governance, risk management, environmental reporting, climate strategy, human rights and labour practices.
Source: S&P Global (2021)
Business Ethics CEO Pay Ratio of 105:1
In 2019 the median pay for a worker at this company was US$172,971. The CEO was paid 105 times this amount. Exorbitant CEO pay is a major contributor to rising inequality. CEOs are getting more because of their power to set pay, not because they are increasing productivity or possess specific, high-demand skills. The economy would suffer no harm if CEOs were paid less (or taxed more). In contrast, the CEO-to-typical-worker compensation ratio was 20-to-1 in 1965 and 58-to-1 in 1989.
Source: AFL-CIO (2020)
Business Ethics Excessive CEO pay
As You Sow's 2020 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, Hans Vestberg came in at number 51 on the list, having been paid US$22,206,086 in 2019. 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: As You Sow (2020)
Business Ethics 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: news article (2010)
Environment 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: We Mean Business (2017)
Social Mum-friendly employer
This company was named in the Working Mother 100 Best Companies 2020 for being a mum-friendly employer. Listed companies demonstrate progress in offering paid parental leave and opportunities to return to work gradually, as well as family-friendly benefits and opportunities for women to advance.
Source: Working Mother (2020)
Business Ethics 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: GeSI (2016)
Business Ethics 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: How2Recycle (2020)
Business Ethics 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: PPA (2019)
Business Ethics 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: RMI (2019)
Environment CDP Climate Change Score of C
In 2020, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) asked companies to provide data about their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change risk. Responding companies are scored across four key areas: disclosure; awareness; management; and leadership. This company received a CDP Climate Change Score of C.
Source: CDP (2020)
Environment 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: ForestEthics (2011)
Social 58.5% in conflict minerals rankings
As You Sow's 2019 report, Mining the Disclosures, is a deep analysis of 215 companies' human rights performance in relation to sourcing conflict minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This company's score was 58.5% (Adequate).
Source: As You Sow (2019)

> About the Icons

Company Details

Type Wholly-owned subsidiary
Employees 12,000 (2017)
Subsidiaries Yahoo!7 Pty Ltd 

Online media company

Formed in 1996 as a 50:50 partnership between the Seven Network Ltd and Yahoo! Inc. joining together Yahoo!'s global online assets with the TV and magazine content of the Seven Network. In 2018 Yahoo!'s parent company Verizon took over complete ownership.

Contact Details

Address Sunnyvale, California, USA
Website www.oath.com

Products / Brands

Oath
AOL Search Engines
Tumblr Social Media

Yahoo! Australia
Yahoo! Search Engines


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