The parent company of Facebook and Instagram, Meta Platforms Inc. is eliminating its diversity, equality, and inclusion program, which covers hiring, training, and selecting partners, joining firms like John Deere and Walmart, a company representative revealed on Friday.
The action, initially reported by Axios, follows the social media behemoth’s decision to curtail its regulations on abuse and hate speech and terminate its third-party fact-checking program.
The software company based in Menlo Park, California, Axios, cited an internal document given to its staff, stating that the U.S. Supreme Court “has recently made decisions signaling a shift in how courts will approach DEI.”
Additionally, the name “DEI” has gained connotations, partly due to the perception held by some that it implies favoring certain groups over others.
This effectively means that Meta will no longer have a diversity and inclusion team; instead, the firm stated that it will “focus on how to apply fair and consistent practices that mitigate bias for all, no matter your background.”
The business would also stop using its “diverse slate approach” to hire, which involved considering a wide range of applicants for each available post.
Laptops 1000McDonald’s, Ford, Walmart, and John Deere, an agricultural equipment manufacturer, are among the other businesses that have recently reduced their DEI initiatives.
Additionally, Amazon announced that it is discontinuing a few of its DEI initiatives, though it did not say which ones.
Senior human resources executive Candi Castleberry stated in a message sent to staff members on December 16 that Amazon announced on Friday that the business has started “winding down outdated programs and materials, and we’re aiming to complete that by the end of 2024.”
Additionally, we are aware that there will always be teams or individuals who carry out well-meaning actions that are inconsistent with our company-wide strategy. We may not always notice them immediately once. However, we’ll persevere,” she wrote.
She continued by saying that Amazon is “focusing on programs with proven outcomes – and we also aim to foster a more truly inclusive culture” instead of “having individual groups build programs.”
