Meta and Amazon have axed many of their diversity and inclusion (DEI) programs, just days before Trump’s inauguration.
According to an internal memo obtained by Axios, Meta will no longer have a team focused specifically 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 dispense with 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 Facebook and Instagram parent company is also making some changes to how it sources its suppliers, suspending its supplier diversity efforts. It says instead of focusing on sourcing from diverse-owned businesses, it will focus on “supporting small and medium-sized businesses that power much of our economy.”
The memo said: “The term ‘DEI’ has also become charged, in part because it is understood by some as a practice that suggests preferential treatment of some groups over others.” Meta also named-checked the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision, which outlawed racial affirmative action at universities, potentially opening the door to greater legal liability for companies instituting DEI programs.
The move comes just days after Meta elected to axe its third-party fact-checking program in the US, to be replaced with a “community-driven” system called Community Notes, as well as making the decision to recommend more political content in US.
Amazon is also rolling back some of its DEI programs. In an internal memo to employees, first reported by Bloomberg, the company said it was “winding down outdated programs and materials.”
“We worked to unify employee groups together under one umbrella and build programs that are open to all,” said Candi Castleberry, Amazon’s vice president of global diversity, equity, and inclusion. “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.”
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Amazon, however, failed to explicitly say which programs it was choosing to wind down, though it said the changes should come into effect by the end of 2025.
Apple, in contrast, is pushing back against pressure from some shareholders to remove 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 restrict Apple’s ability to manage its own ordinary business operations.”
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About Will McCurdy
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