New Delhi: Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is discontinuing its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programme, which encompassed hiring practices, training, and vendor selection, a company spokesperson said on Friday (January 10).
Meta’s decision follows its recent announcement to terminate its third-party fact-checking programme and reassess policies on hate speech and abuse. The move is seen as a strategic effort to align with the incoming Donald Trump administration.
Axios reported that the decision, announced in a memo by Janelle Gale, Meta’s vice president of human resources, marks a substantial departure from the company’s previous commitment to DEI programmes. Meta will no longer have a dedicated DEI team, and Maxine Williams, the company’s chief diversity officer, will take on a new role focused on accessibility and engagement, the report added.
Also read: ‘Regulating Hate Speech Is Not Censorship’: UN Rights Chief on Meta’s Fact-Checking Move
Further, the memo mentioned that the US Supreme Court “has recently made decisions signaling a shift in how courts will approach DEI… 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.”
The company will also end its “diverse slate approach” to hiring, which ensured a diverse pool of candidates was considered for every open position.
Other significant changes include:
- Ending equity and inclusion programmes: Meta will replace these programmes with ones that focus on “fair and consistent practices”.
- Sunsetting supplier diversity efforts: The company will no longer source business suppliers from diverse-owned businesses, instead focusing on supporting “small and medium-sized businesses that power much of our [the US] economy”.
- Ending representation goals: Meta believes that having representation goals can create the impression that decisions are made based on race or gender, the memo mentioned. Further, Gale underlined the company, “previously ended representation goals for women and ethnic minorities.”
This shift in Meta’s approach to DEI initiatives is part of a broader trend, with other major companies, including Ford, Walmart and McDonald’s, John Deer, making similar changes.
Amazon, in a memo dated December 16, announced that it is winding down outdated DEI programmes and materials, aiming to complete this process by the end of 2024. It, however, did not specify which ones.
