Meta, Amazon scale back diversity programs ahead of Trump inauguration

By Katie Paul and Juby Babu

(Reuters) -Facebook owner Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:) and Amazon.com (NASDAQ:) are winding down diversity programs ahead of Republican Donald Trump’s return to the U.S. presidency as conservative opposition to such initiatives grows louder.

Some of America’s biggest businesses have been scaling back their diversity initiatives, years after pushing for more inclusive policies in the wake of protests against the police killings of George Floyd and other Black Americans in 2020.

Meta is ending its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, including those for hiring, training and picking suppliers, it said in an internal memo to employees on Friday – the latest in a series of actions cheered by conservatives.

In less than two weeks, Meta has scrapped its U.S. fact-checking program, elevated prominent Republican Joel Kaplan to be its chief global affairs officer and elected Dana White, CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and close friend of Trump, to its board.

The Mark Zuckerberg-led social media giant has been attempting to mend relations with a leader who has railed against its political content policies and threatened its CEO with imprisonment. 

In a departure from its past practice, Meta in December announced a $1 million contribution to Trump’s inaugural fund, joining big companies from Wall Street to Silicon Valley that have pledged donations.

Amazon.com is “winding down outdated programs and materials” related to representation and inclusion, aiming to complete the process by the end of 2024, it said in a December memo to employees seen by Reuters on Friday.

Conservative groups have denounced DEI programs and threatened to sue companies over them, emboldened by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2023 that struck down affirmative action in university admissions decisions.

Just this week, Elon Musk and other Trump allies blamed DEI programs for hindering the response to raging wildfires in Los Angeles, without evidence.

“The legal and policy landscape surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the United States is changing,” Janelle Gale, Vice President of Human Resources at Meta, said in the memo, which was seen by Reuters and originally reported by Axios.

Gale cited recent Supreme Court decisions “signaling a shift” in how U.S. courts will approach DEI programs going forward.

A U.S. appeals court in December ruled that Nasdaq could not impose rules designed to increase diversity in corporate America by requiring companies listed on the exchange to have women and minority directors on their boards or explain why they do not.

“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,” Gale wrote. 

Meta will no longer have a dedicated team focused on DEI. Chief Diversity Officer Maxine Williams will be taking on a new role “focused on accessibility and engagement”, per the memo.