Meta and Amazon are axing their diversity programmes, joining firms across corporate America that are rolling back hiring and training initiatives criticised by conservatives, citing legal and political risks.
The move comes just days after Meta Platforms, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, said it was ending a fact-checking programme criticised by President-elect Donald Trump and Republicans.
In a memo to staff about its decision, which affects, hiring, supplier and training efforts, Meta cited a “shifting legal and policy landscape”.
Walmart and McDonalds are among the other companies to have made similar decisions regarding diversity efforts since Trump won re-election.
In its memo to staff, which was first reported by Axios and confirmed by the BBC, Meta – the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp – cited a Supreme Court ruling concerning race in college admissions, while also noting that the term “DEI” (diversity, equity and inclusion) had become “charged”.
The tech giant said it would continue to look for diverse staff, but end its current approach, which seeks to make selections from a pool of diverse candidates.
In a December memo to employees, Amazon said it was “winding down outdated programs and materials” related to representation and inclusion, aiming to complete the process by the end of 2024.
“Rather than have individual groups build programs, we are focusing on programs with proven outcomes — and we also aim to foster a more truly inclusive culture,” Candi Castleberry, Amazon’s VP of inclusive experiences and technology, wrote in the note which was first reported by Bloomberg on Friday.
Financial firms JPMorgan Chase and BlackRock, also pulled out of groups focused on risks from climate change this week.
The moves are a sign of the acceleration of a retreat that started two years ago, as Republicans ramped up attacks on firms such as BlackRock and Disney, accusing them of “woke” progressive activism and threatening political punishment.
Big brands such as Bud Light and Target also faced backlash and boycotts related to their efforts to appeal to LGBTQ customers.
Many of the diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives were put in place after the Black Lives Matter protests that erupted in 2020 following George Floyd’s murder at the hands of police.
Recent court decisions have bolstered critics of the programmes, who said that they were discriminatory.
The Supreme Court in 2023 struck down the right for private universities to consider race in admissions decisions.
Another court of appeals ruling invalidated a Nasdaq policy that would have required companies listed on that stock exchange to have at least one woman, racial minority or LGBTQ person on their board or explain why not.
Meta said it was also ending its efforts to work with suppliers who are “diverse” but will instead focus on small and medium-sized companies.
It also plans to stop offering “equity and inclusion” training and instead offer programmes that “mitigate bias for all, no matter your background”.
Meta declined to comment on the memo, news of which was immediately met with both criticism and celebration.
“I’m sitting back and enjoying every second of this,” said conservative activist Robby Starbuck, who has taken credit for successfully campaigning against the policies at companies such as Ford, John Deere and Harley-Davidson.
LGBTQ advocacy group Human Rights Campaign said workplace inclusion policies help to attract and retain top staff and had been “directly tied to long-term business growth”.
“Those who abandon these commitments are shirking their responsibility to their employees, consumers, and shareholders” RaShawn “Shawnie” Hawkins, the senior director of the HRC Foundation’s Workplace Equality Program said.
Meta’s move comes just days after the tech giant said it was ending a fact-checking programme criticised by Trump and Republicans and elevated conservatives to key leadership positions.
In a nearly three-hour interview with podcaster Joe Rogan Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg said he had always been concerned about being the arbiter of “truth” and was “ill-prepared” when the issue first heated up after the 2016 election.
He said the demands to take down information became unreasonable under the Biden administration. For example, he said the company faced pressure during the pandemic to remove content like statements about vaccine side effects.
That helped to generate a wider political backlash, he said, including his own.
“I feel like I have much greater command now of what I think the policies should be,” he said, adding that he felt the US government “should be defending its companies … not be the tip of the spear attacking”.
“When the US does that to its tech industry, it’s basically just open season around the rest of the world,” he added.
By BBC News
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