Meta announced that it will end its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs immediately, according to a report from Axios. The move has been described as a strategic decision by the conglomerate led by Mark Zuckerberg to adapt its corporate culture and business model to market expectations under the second administration of Donald Trump.
“The legal and political context around diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the United States is evolving. The Supreme Court has taken steps that suggest changes in the way courts address these issues. Additionally, the term DEI has become controversial, as some perceive it as a practice that promotes preferential treatment toward certain groups,” explained Janelle Gale, vice president of human resources, in an internal memo cited by Axios.
The document describes that Meta will disband the team dedicated to DEI initiatives and instead develop programs “that focus on how to apply fair and consistent practices that mitigate bias for everyone, regardless of their background.” The modification will affect the contracting, training and selection processes of suppliers.
The parent company of Instagram and Facebook will also abandon the “diverse roster” approach to recruiting, which ensured consideration of candidates from diverse backgrounds for open positions. “We believe in other ways to build an industry-leading workforce and leverage teams made up of high-caliber people, regardless of their background,” adds Gale.
Regarding the choice of suppliers, Meta will prioritize support for small and medium-sized businesses “that drive a large part of the economy,” before considering the origin, gender or ethnicity of their owners. Besides, will set aside specific representation objectives to avoid perceptions of favoritism. He emphasizes that “while it has never been our practice to make decisions based on these aspects, we want to eliminate any impression of it.”
Goal and Trump’s arrival at the White House
Analysts suggest Meta is urgently adjusting its operations to align with the incoming Donald Trump administration. The company named Joel Kaplan, a well-known Republican, as president of global affairs, replacing Nick Clegg. In recent days it added Dana White, executive director of the UFC and a prominent Trump ally, to its board of directors.
The firm, in addition to eliminating its data verification program and reestablishing the recommendation of political content on its social networks, committed to one million dollars to finance the inauguration of the next president of the United States. Experts indicate that the policies promised by the Republican leader could modify the world economy, which is now strongly influenced by technological advances.
Republican Donald Trump’s trade proposal consists of imposing reciprocal tariffs on US imports, matching the tariff rates that trading partners apply to US exports. Regarding immigration issues, it plans to declare a national emergency alert to stop the entry of undocumented foreigners into the United States territory through the border with Mexico. This would allow it to have military forces to carry out large-scale immigration raids.
In an apparent move against the incoming Trump administration, Meta announced sweeping changes to its content moderation, including the removal of fact-checkers and a move to Texas.
Some of its proposals align with the claims of the conservative movement in the United States, which has been pushing for several years to dismantle initiatives related to the DEI approach. In 2020, Trump issued an executive order prohibiting federal contractors from participating in DEI training. The measure was later revoked by President Joe Biden.
Currently, the republican forces promote the Project 2025which seeks to “restore the rule of law, return parents to control of their children’s education, return America to its place as a leader in manufacturing, put families and children first, and dismantle the Deep State,” according to Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation, the entity behind the initiative.
The project demands an end to diversity, equity and inclusion programs and the “toxic normalization of transsexuality.” It also proposes eliminating terms such as “sexual orientation”, “diversity, equity and inclusion”, “gender equality”, “abortion” and “reproductive rights” from all federal laws and regulations.
Donald Trump remained distant from this project during his campaign. However, according to experts, it is likely that once he takes office he will face significant pressure from the conservative bloc to implement this agenda in his new mandate.
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