Meta joins trend of large companies abolishing DEI

‘The legal and policy landscape surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the United States is changing,’ Meta’s memo stated.

The announcement comes following Mark Zuckerberg’s revelation that Facebook will end its censorship efforts.

The social media giant Meta announced that it would be ending certain Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.         

Meta announced the decision in a memo that was published on Friday and released by Axios

The memo opens: “The legal and policy landscape surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the United States is changing. The Supreme Court of the United States has recently made decisions signaling a shift in how courts will approach DEI. It reaffirms longstanding principles that discrimination should not be tolerated or promoted on the basis of inherent characteristics. 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.”

[RELATED: Almost half of college students don’t want DEI forced on them in higher ed: Survey]

As part of new company policy, Meta will abolish its DEI team, base its “supplier strategy” on helping “small and medium sized businesses” instead of on DEI standards, and will no longer use its “Diverse Slate Approach” when considering new workers. 

“Meta has the privilege to serve billions of people every day. It’s important to us that our products are accessible to all, and are useful in promoting economic growth and opportunity around the world. We continue to be focused on serving everyone, and building a multi-talented, industry-leading workforce from all walks of life,” the memo concluded. 

The announcement comes only a few days after Meta’s founder and chairman, Mark Zuckerberg, revealed that Facebook will no longer be censoring posts and will stop relying on “fact-checkers,” who are frequently accused of hiding their leftist bias under a veneer of supposed neutrality. 

[RELATED: Republican AGs warn American Bar Association that revised DEI standard constitutes racial discrimination]

Zuckerberg said that such fact-checkers have been “too politically biased, and have destroyed more trust than they have created.”

Meta’s decision puts it in the same camp as several other companies that have curbed or ended their DEI programs in recent months, including Walmart, McDonald’s, and Ford.     

This development also mirrors a similar crackdown on DEI in higher education, as 10 states have passed legislation to curb DEI in their state institutions of higher education. 

Campus Reform has contacted Meta for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.