Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson — Ethics Grade F

Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson receives an overall ethics grade of F (15/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Telecommunications. Market cap: Large Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 58
• privacy: 45
• consumer: 40
• environment: 65
• humanRights: 10

Documented incidents (3)

• FCPA Bribery Settlement (high, 2019) — Ericsson paid over $1 billion to settle US investigations into a massive bribery scheme across five countries (China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Kuwait, Djibouti). The company used slush funds to pay foreign officials for business advantages.
• ISIS Payment Scandal (high, 2022) — Internal reports leaked suggesting the company may have made payments to ISIS for access to transport routes in Iraq. The disclosure led to a 14% drop in the company's share price and further DOJ scrutiny.
• Patent Licensing Lawsuits (medium, 2023) — Ericsson has been involved in aggressive multi-national patent litigation, notably against Apple and Lenovo, often accused of failing to offer FRAND (Fair, Reasonable, and Non-Discriminatory) terms for 5G hardware.

Documented good deeds

• Giga Initiative Partnership — Collaborated with UNICEF to map school connectivity globally, helping bring internet to underserved rural areas.

Ethical alternatives

• Nokia Corporation — Maintains much higher transparency and a stronger compliance track record in the network equipment sector.