Meta and Amazon scale back DEI plans, join enterprise rollback plan

Meta and Amazon are scaling back their diversity initiatives, joining corporate America in withdrawing from hiring and training programs criticized by conservatives, citing legal and political risks.

Shortly before that, Meta Platforms, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, said it would end a fact-checking program that had been criticized by President-elect Donald Trump and Republicans.

Meta said in a memo to employees that it will also abandon diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts due to “changes in the legal and policy environment.”

Since Trump won re-election, companies including Walmart and McDonald's have made similar decisions in their diversity efforts.

In its memo, First reported by Axios As confirmed by the BBC, Meta cited the Supreme Court's ruling on race in university admissions, while also stating that the term “DEI” (diversity, equity and inclusion) has become “criminal”.

The tech giant said it will continue to look for diverse employees but will stop using its current process of selecting from diverse candidates.

Amazon said in its internal announcement that it remains “committed to delivering inclusive experiences” but is changing its approach to focus on projects with “proven results.”

“As part of this evolution, we have been phasing out obsolete items and materials, and we aim to do so by the end of 2024,” Candi Castleberry, Amazon's vice president of inclusive experiences and technology, wrote in a December report. One mission.” The staff first reported. Bloomberg.

She said the changes included unifying “employee groups” under one umbrella.

Financial firms JPMorgan Chase & Co. and BlackRock also this week withdrew from groups focused on climate change risks.

The moves are signs that a retreat that began two years ago is accelerating as Republicans step up attacks on companies including BlackRock, Disneyaccusing them of “awakening” progressive radicalism and threatening political punishment.

Big brands like Bud Light and Target have also faced backlash and boycotts over their efforts to attract LGBTQ customers.

Many of the diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives were implemented in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests that erupted in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police.

Recent court decisions have intensified criticism of the programs, which they say are discriminatory.

Supreme Court 2023 Eliminate the right of private universities to consider race in admissions decisions.

A separate appeals court ruled that a Nasdaq policy requiring companies listed on the stock exchange to have at least one woman, minority or LGBTQ person on the board of directors was invalid, or to explain why it did not.

Meta said it will also end working with “diverse” suppliers and instead focus on small and medium-sized companies.

It also plans to stop offering “equity and inclusion” training and instead offer programs to “reduce bias for everyone, no matter your background.”

Mehta declined to comment on the memo, news of which was met with immediate criticism and celebration.

“I'm sitting back and enjoying every second of it,” said conservative activist Robby Starbuck, who has been recognized for his successful campaign against policies at companies including Ford, John Deere and Harley-Davidson. praise.

LGBTQ advocacy group Human Rights Campaign said workplace inclusion policies help attract and retain top employees and are “directly linked to long-term business growth.”

“Those who abandon these commitments are shirking their responsibility to employees, consumers and shareholders,” said RaShawn “Shawnie” Hawkins, senior director of workplace equity programs at the HRC Foundation.

Meta's move comes just days after the tech giant said it would end a fact-checking program criticized by Trump and Republicans and promote conservatives to key leadership positions.

In a nearly three-hour interview with podcast Joe Rogan Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg said he had been worried about being the arbiter of “truth” and was “ill-prepared” when the issue first heated up after the 2016 election .

He said requests to delete information have become unreasonable under the Biden administration. For example, he said the company has faced pressure during the pandemic to remove content such as statements about vaccine side effects.

He said that sparked a broader political backlash, including his own.

“I feel like I have a greater grasp now on the policies that I think should be pursued,” he said, adding that he believed the U.S. government “should be defending its own companies… rather than being the tip of the spear.” “.

“When the U.S. does this to its tech industry, it's basically open season on the rest of the world,” he added.