Googles Loses HRC Endorsement After Keeping Conversion Therapy App

The Human Rights Campaign is not happy with Google after the platform refused to delete a conversion therapy app from its online stores, so they decided to cut their endorsement for the tech giant, as per a new report from Bloomberg News.

Google no longer has a perfect store on the HRC's Corporate Equality Index because of its lost endorsement and will have its rating withheld until the app (Living Hope Ministries) is removed for sale at their store. In a statement from HRC, this marks the third time in CEI's history that a positive rating has been halted because of controversy. As for another penalty for including the app in its store, it seems like Google is alone in this battle. Platforms like Apple, Amazon and Microsoft were quick to pull the app from their digital retailers.

"During the CEI survey cycle, the HRC Foundation became aware of an app distributed in Google’s Play Store that supports the practice of so-called 'conversion therapy.' Sometimes known as 'reparative therapy,' so-called 'conversion therapy' includes a range of dangerous and discredited practices that falsely claim to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity or expression," HRC explained in a footnote on the 2019 CEI report. "Such practices have been rejected by every mainstream medical and mental health organization for decades. Minors are especially vulnerable, and conversion therapy can lead to depression, anxiety, drug use, homelessness, and suicide. Pending remedial steps by the company to address this app that can cause harm to the LGBTQ community, the CEI rating is suspended."

As time of press, Google had not responded to a request for comment on the controversy. Nonetheless, a Change.org petition has been created with more than 141,000 signatures, urging the platform to change their minds and remove the app.

Photo: Getty Images


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