05/17/2025

Following FCC Pressure, Verizon is Cutting DE&I Programs

It's the latest for-profit company to bend the knee to the Trump administration

In February, the newly appointed chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) opened a probe into Verizon just as the company was awaiting approval for a sizable acquisition. The telecom giant had announced plans last fall to purchase internet provider Frontier in a $20 billion deal, which was under review by the FCC.

Verizon has now made the decision to cut its DE&I programs, seemingly in response to FCC chair Brendan Carr's investigation into its diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) practices. In a letter to the agency obtained by Reuters, Verizon disclosed that the company would scrub employee trainings of any references to DE&I, along with changing its practices around hiring, supplier diversity and corporate sponsorships. On Friday, barely a day after receiving the letter from Verizon, the FCC announced that the acquisition of Frontier had been approved.

According to Reuters, Verizon is eliminating workforce representation goals and will no longer tie compensation for managers to progress on hiring women and underrepresented employees. The company is also taking down its public page on "diversity and inclusion" and will no longer use the term "DE&I" in its external messaging. (Verizon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.)

Please select this link to read the complete article from Fast Company.