Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta Continues Its Dramatic Overhaul, Abruptly Axes Major DEI Programs
Meta, teh company led by Mark Zuckerberg, announced the termination of its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) program. In a memo to its employees, Janelle Gale, the VP of human resources, explained that the decision comes in light of changing legal and policy landscapes in the U.S., especially following recent Supreme Court rulings affecting DEI practices. The memo indicated that the term “DEI” has become controversial, as it is indeed perceived by some as encouraging preferential treatment based on race or gender. Hence, Meta will dissolve its DEI department, cease diversity supplier programs, and eliminate specific hiring goals related to diversity.
This aligns with a broader trend among several corporations that have recently scaled back or eliminated their DEI initiatives, reacting to conservative pressure. Additionally, the firm has made other critically important changes, including leadership adjustments that suggest a shift towards a more right-leaning corporate culture, coinciding with the anticipated policies of President-elect Donald Trump, who has pledged to dismantle DEI frameworks across both public and private sectors.Mark Zuckerberg expressed optimism regarding Trump’s influence on U.S. tech policy during a recent podcast appearance.
Mark Zuckerberg-led Meta made another move to the right Friday with the announcement that the company is ending its diversity, equity, and inclusion program.
In a memo to the company’s 72,000 employees, Janelle Gale, vice president of human resources, wrote that Meta is changing course because the “legal and policy landscape surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the United States is changing,” according to a report from Axios.
“The Supreme Court of the United States has recently made decisions signaling a shift in how courts will approach DEI,” the memo said, per Axios.
“It reaffirms longstanding principles that discrimination should not be tolerated or promoted on the basis of inherent characteristics,” the document added.
“The term ‘DEI’ has also become charged, in part because it is understood by some as a practice that suggests preferential treatment of some groups over others,” Gale argued.
Given that context, Meta will “no longer have a team focused on DEI.”
In addition to shutting down the DEI department, Meta will sunset diversity supplier programs, end the “Diverse Slate Approach” to hiring, and remove diversity representation hiring goals at the company.
Gale wrote that such goals “can create the impression that decisions are being made based on race or gender.”
“We build the best teams with the most talented people. This means sourcing people from a range of candidate pools, but never making hiring decisions based on protected characteristics (e.g. race, gender etc.). We will always evaluate people as individuals,” she said.
Gale concluded, “It’s important to us that our products are accessible to all, and are useful in promoting economic growth and opportunity around the world. We continue to be focused on serving everyone, and building a multi-talented, industry-leading workforce from all walks of life.”
Meta’s new policy is consistent with President-elect Donald Trump’s pledge to roll back DEI.
While speaking at a Turning Point USA event late last month in Phoenix, Trump said, “I will end the left’s campaign on racial discrimination and restore equality to our land.”
“I will end all of the Marxist diversity, equity and inclusion policies across the entire federal government immediately,” he continued. “We’re going to ban them from the private sector, as well. In America, we believe in the merit system.”
🇺🇸Trump is set to dismantle DEI, immediately after taking office:
“I will end all of the Marxist diversity, equity and inclusion policies across the entire federal government immediately.”
“In America, we believe in the merit system.”
YES.
🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/w3CbzRAtYA
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) December 22, 2024
Trump also referenced the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision which ruled that race-based affirmative action programs at colleges and universities are unconstitutional.
Forbes reported last month that the Supreme Court is set to rule later in 2025 in a case that challenges corporate DEI programs in light of the court’s previous decision regarding colleges.
Several companies have recently ended or rolled back their DEI programs following successful pressure campaigns from conservative activist Robby Starbuck.
Those firms include McDonald’s, Walmart, Ford, Jack Daniels, and Boeing.
Axios also reported that last week Meta “replaced president of global affairs, Nick Clegg, with Joel Kaplan, a prominent Republican who is now chief global affairs officer.”
The latest move to end DEI progams at Meta comes days after Zuckerberg announced that the company was ending what he described as its “politically biased” fact-checker program in favor of a community notes model like the one used on X.
Meta meanwhile pledged $1 million for Trump’s inaugural fund and placed UFC president Dana White, a Trump ally, on its board of directors.
Zuckerberg met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago in late November.
The Meta CEO told podcast host Joe Rogan in an episode published on Friday that he’s “optimistic” about how Trump will position the U.S. tech industry on the global stage.
META CEO Mark Zuckerberg tells Joe Rogan that he is “optimistic” about President-elect Donald Trump because he “just wants America to win.”
He says that Trump will protect American companies around the world from being ripped off and stolen from by foreign governments. pic.twitter.com/iAhrCMEozO
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) January 10, 2025
“I think he just wants America to win,” Zuckerberg said.
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