Social media company Meta and online retailer Amazon will also scale back a number of their initiatives in the field of diversity and inclusion. Other American companies, such as fast food chain McDonald’s and retail chain Walmart, have previously taken similar steps.
The U.S. Supreme Court has previously banned affirmative action in college admissions. That’s creating legal challenges for companies’ diversity programs, which have prompted executives to rethink these initiatives. At the same time, well-known activist Robby Starbuck is also campaigning against so-called ‘woke companies’.
Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, informed employees in an internal note that they are no longer required to interview candidates from underrepresented backgrounds for open positions. They are also no longer obliged to do business with “diverse” suppliers or to offer training in focusing on diversity. Maxine Williams, head of diversity at Meta, will take on a different role.
In the note, Meta justifies the choice by saying that “the legal and political landscape surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion efforts is changing in the United States.”
In an Amazon memo to employees last month, a senior HR official said the company is “phasing out outdated programs and materials” as part of a review of hundreds of initiatives.
Factcheckers
The move at Meta comes three days after CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the group in the United States will stop actual checks by experts on messages that spread quickly on Facebook or Instagram. Incoming American president Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized Meta’s policy to combat fake news in the past.
Now Zuckerberg is clearly seeking rapprochement with Trump. The two held a dinner in November and Zuckerberg recently donated a million dollars for the Republican’s inauguration.