|
The
move, which was first reported by Axios, comes on the heels of
the social media giant's decision to end its third-party
fact-checking program and scale back policies on hate speech and
abuse.
Citing an internal memo sent to employees, Axios said the Menlo
Park, California-based tech giant said the U.S. Supreme Court
"has recently made decisions signaling a shift in how courts
will approach DEI. … 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.”
In practice, this means Meta will no longer have a team focused
on diversity and inclusion and the company said it will instead
“focus on how to apply fair and consistent practices that
mitigate bias for all, no matter your background.”
The company will also end its “diverse slate approach” to
hiring, which meant that a diverse pool of candidates was
considered for every open position.
Other companies that have curbed DEI programs recently include
McDonald's and automaker Ford as well as Walmart and farm
equipment maker John Deere.
Amazon also said it is halting some of its DEI programs,
although it did not specify which ones. In a Dec. 16 memo to
employees that Amazon shared on Friday, Candi Castleberry, a
senior human resources executive, said the company has been
“winding down outdated programs and materials, and we’re aiming
to complete that by the end of 2024.”
“We also know there will always be individuals or teams who
continue to do well-intentioned things that don’t align with our
company-wide approach, and we might not always see those right
away. But we’ll keep at it," she wrote.
Rather than “have individual groups build programs,” she added,
Amazon is “focusing on programs with proven outcomes – and we
also aim to foster a more truly inclusive culture.”
All contents © copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved
|
|
