Meta becomes latest company to eliminate DEI programs

DEI programs are ending at major companies — with the latest changes happening at Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.

Meta announced the rollback of its major diversity-oriented programs in a memo Friday, citing the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision outlawing affirmative action in college admissions, Axios reported.

The “legal and policy landscape surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the United States is changing,” Janelle Gale, vice president of human resources, said in the memo.

Effective immediately, terminated DEI programs include those for hiring, training and picking suppliers, Axios said. Meta is rolling back the following:

• Cut its DEI team
• End equity and inclusion programs
• No longer intentionally seek diverse business suppliers
• Discontinue the “Diverse Slate Approach” to hiring
• Eliminate representation goals for women and minorities

“Instead of equity and inclusion training programs, we will build programs that focus on how to apply fair and consistent practices that mitigate bias for all, no matter your background,” Gale said in the memo.

The move is a strong signal of the company’s push to make inroads with the incoming Donald Trump administration, Axios reported.

Just three days earlier, Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta replaced its fact-checking on social media platforms Facebook, Instagram and Threads — with a “community notes” system akin to the one on X.

Meta’s announcement also came after McDonald’s earlier this week, which also cited the Supreme Court’s ruling, the Associated Press reported.

Walmart, John Deere, Harley-Davidson and others have also rolled back diversity programs, the AP said.