Meta and Amazon are both canceling their diversity programs, adding their names to a growing list of companies across corporate America taking similar steps in anticipation of Donald Trump's return to the White House.
The BBC reported that Meta Platforms, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, sent a memo to employees about the decision, citing the “changing legal and political landscape.”
Other companies that have made similar hiring decisions regarding diversity efforts since Trump won the US election in November include Walmart and McDonald's.
The BBC says the memo from Meta said the term “DEI” (diversity, equality and inclusion) had become “charged”. She said that although she will continue to seek diverse employees, she will end seeking to choose from a pool of diverse candidates specifically.
Amazon made a similar decision, sending a memo to employees in December, saying it was “terminating outdated programs and materials” related to representation and inclusion.
JPMorgan Chase and BlackRock withdrew this week from groups focused on risks from climate change, the BBC reported.
This comes after Meta announced four days ago that it was ending a fact-checking program previously criticized by Trump and Republicans.
Deadline reported on Tuesday that Zuckerberg posted a video saying: “The recent election also feels like a cultural turning point toward prioritizing speech again. So we will go back to our roots and focus on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies, and restoring freedom of expression on our platforms.”
The changes are just the latest effort by Meta given that Trump and his allies have targeted the platform and Zuckerberg himself. After Trump was re-elected, Zuckerberg met with the president-elect. Last week, Nick Clegg, Meta's chief global affairs officer, announced his departure, replacing him with Joel Kaplan, a Republican who has been sympathetic to claims that the platform has suppressed conservative voices.
