About the Viewpoint Diversity Score

Our Story

In the 21st century, the public square is largely online, hosted by web-based platforms, run by corporations. As a result, powerful corporations, particularly in the technology and financial-services sectors, increasingly shape access to essential services and serve as important gateways to expression in the digital public square. These companies play an important role in the global economy and civil society. Unfortunately, many companies have taken actions that undermine public trust and the institutions of democratic self-government. Companies do so when they engage in censorship, enable cancel culture within their organizations, deny service based on belief, or take public positions that undermine freedom of speech and religious freedom.

That is why in 2022, we started scoring corporations through the Viewpoint Diversity Score Business Index, to determine which companies are actively protecting free speech and respecting religious freedom and which ones are eroding our freedoms. We then take the results of the Index and leverage them to advocate for change inside corporate America. We call on companies to respect free speech and religious freedom in how they conduct business, manage their workforces, serve customers, and engage external stakeholders.

As a coalition of business leaders recently wrote: “Contributing to human flourishing means treating employees, customers, and vendors morally, with dignity and respect, and within the bounds of the law.” We agree.

Through the Business Index, shareholder engagement, research, and educational resources, Viewpoint Diversity Score provides corporations with practical guidance for strengthening respect for religious freedom and freedom of speech. We encourage businesses to adopt clear policies that treat differing viewpoints equally, protect free speech and religious freedom, foster trust, reduce risk, and better serve all Americans.

The Business Index is designed not only to evaluate current policies, but also to bolster continuous improvement by recognizing positive changes and providing practical guidance for companies seeking to strengthen the freedoms essential to a healthy marketplace and a self-governing society.

Viewpoint Diversity Score is a project of Alliance Defending Freedom, one of the nation’s most respected and successful Supreme Court advocates, working to preserve the fundamental freedoms of speech and religion for all Americans.

Learn more about our leadership, visit our FAQ page, or contact us to learn how your organization can get involved.