The Vancouver-based social-media-management company will reportedly keep its B Corp status, awarded to corporations with what B Lab deems socially and environmentally friendly business practices, after the body responsible for certifications “found that they have terminated their contract with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and are no longer working with them,” according to an email that Nandini Jammi of activist group Sleeping Giants posted on Twitter. (The Logic)
Talking point: B Lab launched a review of Hootsuite’s status last year after receiving complaints about the company’s involvement with ICE. Hootsuite entered into a three-year deal with ICE, but backed out of it after employee opposition. One person who identified themselves as a Hootsuite employee revealed the connection on Twitter in September 2020. They later said they were “no longer employed by Hootsuite,” and the company declined to comment at the time, citing privacy reasons. In late 2020, Hootsuite created a corporate social responsibility director position. The hire’s responsibilities would include maintaining and reporting on the company’s B Corp certification and relationship. Neither B Lab nor Hootsuite immediately responded to The Logic’s request for comment.