A potential White House deal to sell TikTok to Oracle is drawing sharp criticism from lawmakers, who argue that the arrangement would allow ByteDance to retain control over key aspects of the platform, raising serious national security and legal concerns. The controversy has highlighted the political risks involved in Oracle’s engagement with an administration pushing a contentious deal.

Oracle is in advanced discussions with the White House to potentially take control of TikTok’s operations. The negotiations occur amid intense scrutiny over data security and the risk of Chinese influence, and involve key figures from an administration known for its authoritarian leanings. This corporate-government collaboration raises concerns regarding democratic oversight and the reinforcement of power structures favorable to authoritarian practices.

The 2024 Political Activity Report reveals that Oracle maintained a transparent and closely overseen approach to its political spending. Reported political contributions and lobbying expenses were immaterial relative to overall operating costs, and the donations were balanced between Democratic and Republican groups, reflecting a controlled, non-partisan engagement in public policy debates.

On November 8, 2024, Oracle Corporation issued a comprehensive statement outlining its commitment to combat modern slavery and human trafficking through robust internal policies, supplier audits, training programs, and strict Codes of Conduct for employees, suppliers, and partners. The measures include rigorous due diligence across its supply chain, regular audit practices, and contractual obligations to ensure compliance with international human rights standards.

On 8 November 2024, Oracle issued a comprehensive statement outlining its actions to prevent modern slavery and human trafficking across its operations and supply chain. The document details rigorous supplier audits, strict supplier contract requirements, extensive employee and management training, and ongoing compliance and remediation processes designed to protect worker rights and mitigate risks of forced labor.

Oracle updated its policy against human trafficking and slavery, detailing measures such as supplier audits, validation, and training in its direct hardware supply chain in line with the Responsible Business Alliance Code of Conduct.

In March 2024, Oracle published an updated policy that prohibits human trafficking, forced labor, and slavery both within its operations and across its direct hardware supply chain. The policy incorporates the RBA Code of Conduct, emphasizes supplier audits, validation, and training, thereby strengthening labor rights and supply chain ethical standards.

Oracle reached a $25M settlement to resolve a discrimination class action alleging systemic pay bias against female employees in California. The settlement underscores longstanding labor rights issues and discriminatory wage practices within the company.

The Oracle 2021 Political Activity Report details Oracle Corporation's political contributions and lobbying efforts during the 2021 calendar year. The document outlines bipartisan donations—including to both Democratic and Republican groups—and describes executive oversight by the Government Affairs department and CEO. Although the expenditures are characterized as immaterial relative to overall operating costs and are disclosed with transparency, they nonetheless reflect active corporate influence in the political arena that raises concerns from an anti-fascist perspective.

In December 2020, Oracle released its Human Rights Statement detailing its commitment to upholding and respecting human rights. The document outlines measures such as compliance with applicable laws, efforts to eliminate forced labor and discrimination, protection of privacy, supporting responsible sourcing, and transparent reporting via its Corporate Citizenship Report. This public declaration reinforces the company's commitment to ethical labor practices and corporate transparency.