Economics

Silicon Valley Is Using Trade Secrets to Hide Its Race Problem

  • Diversity stats give rivals road map to raid talent, firms say
  • Growing trend may let tech firms pay lip service to diversity

Photographer: Smith Collection/Getty Images

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Diversity and inclusion. Words repeated so often they’re virtually mantra in corporate America. Hardly a day goes by without some CEO extolling the virtues of a more diverse and inclusive workplace.

But when it comes to showing their progress for the world to see, some of the biggest names in Silicon Valley are turning to a novel legal defense: asserting they’re trade secrets.