Meta and Amazon have rescinded many of their diversity and inclusion (DEI) programs just days before Trump’s inauguration.
According to an internal memo obtained by AxiosMeta will no longer have a team specifically focused on DEI. Maxine Williams, the tech giant’s current chief diversity officer, will instead take on a new role focused on “accessibility and engagement.”
Meta will also drop its Diverse Slate Approach, a hiring approach it introduced in 2015 that forces managers to consider candidates from underrepresented backgrounds when interviewing for an open position. The parent company of Facebook and Instagram is also making some changes to how it sources its suppliers, suspending its supplier diversity efforts. He says that instead of focusing on resources from businesses with different ownership, he will focus on “supporting the small and medium-sized businesses that power the bulk of our economy.”
The memo said: “The term ‘DEI’ has also become loaded, in part because it is understood by some to be a practice that suggests preferential treatment of some groups over others.” Meta also name-checked the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision that outlawed racial affirmative action at universities, potentially opening the door to greater legal liability for companies that create DEI programs.
The move comes just days after Meta opted to ditch its third-party fact-checking program in the US in favor of a “community-driven” system called Community Notes, as well as making the decision to recommend more US political content. .
Amazon is also bringing back some of its DEI programs. In an internal memo to employees, first reported by Bloombergthe company said it was “discontinuing outdated programs and materials.”
“We worked to bring groups of employees together under one umbrella and build programs that are open to everyone,” said Candi Castleberry, Amazon’s vice president of global diversity, equity and inclusion. “Rather than individual groups building programs, we’re focusing on programs with proven results — and we also aim to foster a more truly inclusive culture.”
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Amazon, however, failed to say explicitly which programs it was choosing to shut down, though it said the changes should take effect by the end of 2025.
Apple, in contrast, is resisting pressure from some shareholders to scrap its diversity and inclusion program.
In its latest shareholder report, Apple’s board recommends voting against a proposal that suggests its current DEI program could open it up to lawsuits worth “tens of billions” of dollars. Apple said it has a “well-established compliance program, and the proposal inappropriately attempts to limit Apple’s ability to manage its ordinary business operations.”
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About Will McCurdy
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