Meta Platforms is ending its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, including its hiring, training and vendor selection programs, it said in a memo to employees posted Friday on the company's internal forum.
The move comes in the run-up to US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration, as the company tries to mend relations with a leader who has criticized its political content policies and threatened its CEO with jail.
“The legal and policy landscape surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the United States is changing,” Janelle Gale, vice president of human resources at Meta, said in a memo seen by Reuters.
“Changing” US Courts' Approach to DEI Programs
Gale cited recent Supreme Court rulings that “signal a shift” in how U.S. courts will approach DEI programs in the future.
“The term 'DEI' has also gained popularity, in part because some understand it as a practice that suggests preferential treatment of some groups over others,” she wrote.
Meta will continue to source job candidates from diverse backgrounds, but will stop using a “diverse approach,” Gale said.
The company will no longer have a dedicated team focused on DEI, she wrote. Chief diversity officer Maxine Williams will take on a new role at Meta focused on accessibility and engagement, according to the memo.
One employee commented on Gale's memo calling it “depressing reading.”
The US tech giant elected three new directors to its board on Monday, including Dana White, CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and a close friend of Trump.
Last week, Meta named prominent Republican Joel Kaplan as director of global affairs, replacing Nick Clegg.