Meta has joined the list of American companies that have abandoned internal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration.
The changes will affect hiring, training, and contractor selection. Meta’s Vice President of Human Resources, Janelle Gale, in a memo to employees, which was reviewed by the site Reuters, confirmed that the cancellation of diversity programs is due to a “change in the political landscape”:
“The legal and political landscape around efforts to ensure diversity, equity, and inclusivity in the United States is changing”.
Instead, Meta will create programs “focused on how to apply fair and consistent practices that mitigate bias for everyone, regardless of background”, added Gale (via Axios).
It is worth mentioning that a few days earlier, Meta cancelled some fact-checking programs on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, and last week hired Republican Joel Kaplan as the Chief Global Affairs Specialist and UFC president (and a key Trump ally) Dana White to its board. Zuckerberg also pledged to donate $1 million to Donald Trump’s inauguration, attempting to build relations with the future president.
Amazon also announced that it will “phase out outdated programs and materials” related to diversity and inclusivity by the end of 2024, according to a December memo to employees. Previously, McDonald’s, John Deere, Ford, and Walmart also cancelled their own inclusivity programs, as noted by AP News.
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