January saw NVIDIA file its annual report (form 10‑K) with the SEC, one of the first of the season. The document shows a notable reduction and removal of DEI disclosures compared with the company’s filing for the year before.
In similar filings from other public companies like Ford Motor Company and Netflix, the use of DEI‑related language has changed in different ways, offering context for how corporate disclosure practices are evolving.
In a lengthy LinkedIn analysis, Michelle Leder, founder and editor at footnoted.com, it found that NVIDIA deleted a section on DEI entirely from its 2026 10‑K. In the 2024 filing, the company devoted about one and a half pages to a Human Capital Management section that included a dedicated Diversity, Equity and Inclusion subsection and detailed goals such as support for women’s advancement and percentages of various demographic groups in the workforce.
That entire section was deleted in the current 10‑K. The prior filing also carried specific demographic data on male and female employees and ethnic composition that are no longer present. Likewise, language about a ‘flexible work environment’ linked to recruiting and supporting diverse talent was removed.
Public reviews of NVIDIA’s 2026 annual report confirm that the word ‘diversity’ does not appear at all in the new report’s human capital discussion, also that a dedicated sustainability or governance section, which previously encompassed climate and DEI commitments, was omitted. In place of detailed sections, the current report offers only a single broad statement along the lines of using employee feedback mechanisms to maintain an ‘inclusive culture where hiring and promotions are based on merit.’
This change comes at a time when many large public companies are revising how they present workforce and culture topics in their SEC filings. A broader corporate governance study from global law firm Orrick shows that references to DEI or similar language have fallen across the S&P500, with only about 34percent of companies still using the term in recent 10‑Ks, down from 90percent in 2024. While most still include at least some diversity‑related disclosure, many have significantly shortened or reframed it.
In addition to removing DEI disclosures, NVIDIA’s 2026 10‑K also omitted a 2025 section titled Sustainability and Governance, which previously detailed the company’s clean energy initiatives and emissions commitments. The current report makes only general references to sustainability, framed in terms of business continuity and adherence to relevant laws, rather than specific environmental or governance targets. Last year’s report stated that ‘these issues are important for our continued business success and reflect the topics of highest concern to Nvidia and our stakeholders.’
Compared with NVIDIA’s approach, Ford Motor Company’s 2026 10‑K shows a reduction but not complete elimination of DEI‑related language. The company’s prior 2024 filing included more explicit references to workforce diversity and inclusion tied to its corporate strategy and human capital practices. In the latest filing, while the term diversity, equity and inclusion appears less frequently and is reframed toward broader discussions of culture and workforce support, Ford retains references to workplace culture and values that signal ongoing attention to diverse representation.
By contrast, Netflix’s latest 10‑K filing, also covering fiscal year 2025 and filed in early 2026, keeps inclusion and representation language without heavy use of formal DEI terminology. Netflix emphasizes that its workforce and creative output are intended to reflect a global audience and stresses the importance of a culture of inclusion. The company’s approach is consistent with prior filings: it frames workforce diversity and inclusion as a business strength but does not focus on detailed DEI goals or program metrics.
These different approaches between the three companies reflect a bigger change noted where companies frequently replace detailed DEI disclosure with more general statements about workplace culture, employee engagement and inclusion‑oriented values.
As corporate disclosures continue to roll in this 2026 reporting season, a key question for investors and governance observers will be how these changes in DEI language affect perceptions of corporate culture and long‑term human capital strategies but most of all whether companies will go further in clarifying the role of diversity and inclusion in business performance.
NVIDIA, Ford and Netflix were contacted for comment.