Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced on Friday (Jan 10) that it is dismantling its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programmes. This move marks a significant shift in Meta's corporate strategy and is the second move in recent days - after ending fact-checks- that aligns closely with conservative political priorities.

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On Tuesday (Jan 7), Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg had announced that his company was ditching third-party fact-checking in the US and turning over the task of debunking falsehoods to ordinary users under a model known as "Community Notes," popularised by Elon Musk's X.

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Meta's DEI programme

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In an internal memo to employees, Meta on Friday revealed sweeping changes, including scrapping its diverse slate hiring practices and dissolving its DEI team.

The company said "the legal and policy landscape surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the United States is changing" — in what could be an apparent reference to the incoming US President-elect Donald Trump, a Republican. 

"We serve everyone," the internal memo stated, affirming that Meta will continue recruiting from a wide range of backgrounds. However, the company will no longer maintain specific diversity benchmarks for hiring women and ethnic minorities, a notable departure from its previous goals.

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Also read | Meta faces 72-hour deadline from Brazil over transparency in fact-checking practices

As part of the restructuring, Meta’s Chief Diversity Officer, Maxine Williams, will transition to a new role focused on accessibility and user engagement.

Meta’s supplier diversity program—which prioritised partnerships with diverse-owned businesses—will also be terminated. The company says it will instead concentrate on supporting small and medium-sized enterprises.

The memo, first reported by Axios, comes just days after Meta reversed several content moderation policies—most notably ending its fact-checking program in the US on both Facebook and Instagram. 

Also read | International Fact-Checking Network calls out Meta CEO Zuckerberg's censorship claim as 'false'

Zuckerberg's new-found love for Trump 

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's move to disable fact-checking echoes longstanding Republican criticisms, including those from incoming president Trump and his close aide, X owner Musk. The two have previously accused social media giants of suppressing conservative voices under the guise of fact-checking and hate speech regulation.

The techie has been taking notable steps to mend relations with Trump following his election victory in November. Reports indicate Zuckerberg contributed $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund and hired a Republican to lead Meta’s public affairs division.

In a Friday interview with podcast host Joe Rogan, Zuckerberg also sharply criticised Trump predecessor Joe Biden's administration for asking Meta to censor content during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Why Zuckerberg's sudden change of heart?

Trump has been a vocal critic of Zuckerberg and Meta for years, accusing the platform of political bias and vowing retribution once he returns to the White House. His return to the presidency has also brought to the forefront Republican opposition to corporate DEI programmes, many of which gained momentum in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement and nationwide calls for racial equity.

Meta isn’t alone in scaling back diversity initiatives. Following Trump’s election, major corporations like Walmart, Ford, John Deere, Lowe’s, Harley-Davidson, and Jack Daniels also reduced or dismantled programs aimed at supporting minority communities.

(With inputs from agencies)