Several of the world’s largest corporations, including Meta, Amazon and Tesla, are undermining democracy around the globe by supporting extremist political movements and violating human and labor rights, according to a report released Tuesday by the International Trade Union Confederation.
The report alleges that these companies are exacerbating the climate crisis through their financial activities and using extensive lobbying efforts to disrupt emerging global policies aimed at holding them accountable. It claims that ultra-wealthy executives from these firms back far-right politicians and parties to protect their own interests.
"When the far-right gains power, it discredits and defunds democratic global institutions, reduces taxes on the wealthy and corporations, undermines living wages, and curtails human, trade union, and democratic rights," the report says, citing findings from the ITUC’s Global Rights Index.
Amazon in the eye of the storm
The report accuses several major corporations, including Amazon, Tesla, Meta and ExxonMobil, of undermining democracy and influencing global policy through extensive lobbying efforts.
The report also names investment firms Blackstone and Vanguard, as well as trading company Glencore, as contributors to these efforts, which allegedly target United Nations institutions and a wide range of policy areas.
The report singles out Amazon, the world’s fifth-largest employer and the leading online retailer, for its widespread impact on industries and communities worldwide.
It criticizes the company for "union busting and low wages on multiple continents, a monopoly in e-commerce, egregious carbon emissions through its AWS data centers, corporate tax evasion and lobbying at national and international levels."
The report highlights several specific allegations against Amazon, including high injury rates among its U.S. workers and a legal challenge to the constitutionality of the National Labor Relations Board. It also points to the company's efforts to overturn labor laws in Canada and notes that the European Parliament has banned Amazon lobbyists for refusing to engage in discussions on labor rights violations.
Additionally, the report accuses Amazon of refusing to negotiate with unions in Germany and reveals that its retail platform has been used by hate groups to fundraise and sell merchandise.
Tesla and Meta: Spreading propaganda
The report accuses Tesla of opposing labor unions in the United States, Germany and Sweden, citing CEO Elon Musk’s personal resistance to unions and democratic principles. The report also highlights Musk’s support for political leaders such as former U.S. President Donald Trump, Argentina’s Javier Milei and India’s Narendra Modi.
Meta is similarly criticized in the report for allowing far-right movements to use its platforms to garner support both in the U.S. and internationally. The report alleges that Meta retaliated against regulatory measures in Canada and invested heavily in lobbying efforts to block legislation aimed at protecting citizens’ data privacy.
Impact on democracy and climate change
Other companies named in the report include Glencore, Blackstone, Vanguard and ExxonMobil, which are accused of undermining democracy and supporting far-right political movements.
The report alleges these companies have funded campaigns against Indigenous communities and activists and have invested heavily in fossil fuel projects and deforestation in the Amazon.
Blackstone, led by billionaire and Trump supporter Stephen Schwarzman, is singled out in the report for investing tens of millions of dollars in political efforts to prevent or reverse regulations that could restrict its operations. ExxonMobil is accused of funding research aimed at discrediting climate science and lobbying aggressively against environmental regulations.
The report underscores the urgent need for coordinated international strategies to address the overwhelming influence of these corporations, which often operate with more power than governments and without democratic accountability.
The ITUC, which represents 191 million workers in 169 countries and territories, is advocating for a binding international treaty to hold multinational corporations accountable to global human rights laws.