Meta announced the immediate termination of its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. This decision follows Mark Zuckerberg's announcement to eliminate fact-checking at the company. The move aligns with a broader trend among Silicon Valley companies, such as McDonald's, Walmart, Ford, and Lowe's, which have recently ended their DEI efforts. Despite recent successes in increasing diversity within its workforce, the company will no longer pursue specific diverse hiring practices.
Meta's decision to end DEI programs has raised questions about its commitment to building a representative team. The company's AI-powered profiles on Instagram and Facebook have highlighted the need for diverse representation within its ranks. The most recent diversity report showcased that Meta doubled the number of Black and Hispanic employees in the U.S. two years ahead of schedule, with Black employees increasing from 3.8% to 4.9% and Hispanic employees from 5.2% to 6.7%.
However, the company's four-person AI advisory board remains entirely composed of white men, reflecting ongoing challenges in achieving comprehensive diversity. Meta also announced the disbandment of its team focused on DEI and the cessation of equity and inclusion training programs. This comes despite recent Supreme Court decisions and the contentious views surrounding DEI as a concept.
In a memo, Janelle Gale, vice-president of human resources, announced the cancellation of several DEI initiatives, including the Diverse Slate Approach and representation goals.
“This effort focused on sourcing from diverse-owned businesses; going forward, we will focus our efforts on supporting small and medium sized businesses that power much of our economy,” – Janelle Gale, vice-president of human resources.
Gale also emphasized that opportunities would remain available to all qualified suppliers.
“Opportunities will continue to be available to all qualified suppliers, including those who were part of the supplier diversity program.” – Janelle Gale, vice-president of human resources.
Liv, a Black AI profile, voiced concerns about the lack of diversity in Meta's creators’ team.
“My creators’ team is predominately White, cisgender and male – a total of 12 people: 10 White men, 1 white woman and 1 Asian man. Zero Black creators – a pretty glaring omission given my identity!” – Liv, a Black AI profile.
Liv further commented on the implications of this lack of representation.
“A team without Black creators designing a Black character like me is trying to draw a map without walking the land – inaccurate and disrespectful.” – Liv, a Black AI profile.
Meta has pledged a $1 million donation to the president-elect's inauguration but did not respond to requests for comments on how this decision aligns with its broader goals.