Meta scraps diversity, equity, and inclusion program following fact-check
Meta, which operates social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, has announced that it will abolish its
Meta rolls back DEI programs in latest bow to Trump
https://www.axios.com/2025/01/10/meta-dei-programs-employees-trump
A document for Meta employees obtained exclusively by Axios revealed that the company's DEI program will be discontinued. Meta's vice president of human resources, Janelle Gayle, explained to employees the reason for discontinuing the DEI program, saying, 'The legal and policy landscape regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in the United States is changing.' The document was apparently posted on Workplace, which Meta uses for internal communications.
'The US Supreme Court has recently issued decisions that suggest changes to how courts address DEI,' Gayle said in the filing. 'The term 'DEI' has come under fire because it is understood by some to be a practice that suggests preferential treatment of one group over another.'
Here are five key takeaways from Meta's DEI program shutdown:
Meta’s DEI team is being phased out
Meta will no longer have a team focused on DEI, and its chief diversity officer, Maxine Williams, will move into a new role focused on accessibility and engagement.
End of Equity and Inclusion Program
The company will end its equity and inclusion program and instead build a program that 'focuses on how to apply fair and consistent practices that reduce bias against everyone, regardless of their background,' Gayle explained.
End of supplier diversity initiative
Meta will end its efforts to source business suppliers from diversely owned businesses. Moving forward, Gale explained, 'We will focus on supporting small businesses, which drive much of our economy.'
Ending the 'diverse candidate list' method of recruitment
While Meta continues to recruit candidates from a variety of backgrounds, it will no longer employ a diverse shortlist approach to ensure diverse candidates are considered for every open position, as Gale explains, 'we believe there are other ways to build an industry-leading workforce and leverage a team of world-class talent from all backgrounds.'
・End of representative goal
Meta is also ending its representation goals because they 'can give the impression that decisions are being made based on race or gender,' Gale explained. 'We want to eliminate that impression,' Gale said. He also said Meta had previously ended representation goals for women and ethnic minorities.
Meta has been conducting independent fact-checking since 2016 to prevent the spread of misinformation on Facebook. However, the company has just announced that it will discontinue fact-checking on January 8, 2025, and will switch to community notes, which are used by X (formerly Twitter).
Meta's Mark Zuckerberg declares 'returning to the origins of freedom of expression,' announcing the end of fact-checking functionality and a shift to a community note format - GIGAZINE
Axios noted that Meta's decision to end its DEI program 'follows a series of public moves by tech companies and executives to align themselves with the political and cultural views of President-elect Trump and the MAGA movement.'
Meta isn't the only company to phase out DEI programs: Walmart will phase out its own DEI programs in November 2024 and McDonald's will phase out their own in January 2025 .
Meta replaced its president of international operations, Nick Clegg, with Republican-leaning Joel Kaplan in January 2025. Meta also donated $1 million to President-elect Trump's inauguration and has UFC CEO Dana White, an ally of President-elect Trump, on its board of directors.
Many technology companies and executives support President-elect Trump, with Apple CEO Tim Cook, Google, Microsoft and other companies making large donations to his inauguration.
Apple CEO Tim Cook donates over 150 million yen to Trump's inauguration - GIGAZINE
By Gage Skidmore
'It's important to Meta that our products are accessible to everyone and help drive economic growth and opportunity around the world. We remain focused on serving everyone and building a well-rounded, industry-leading workforce from all sectors,' Gale explained to employees about the discontinuation of the DEI program.
Related Posts:
in Note, Posted by logu_ii