Key Takeaways:

  • Meta has joined the wave of companies rolling back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, and will end a series of DEI initiatives, including its supplier diversity program. A company spokesperson confirmed the news to ESG Dive, a sister publication of CFO Dive, last Friday.
  • Meta has also disbanded its DEI team, will end its equity and inclusion programs and representation goals, and will stop using the "diverse slate approach" in its hiring process. These changes were first reported by Axios last Friday. The company's webpage previously used to introduce its diversity practices is now inaccessible.
  • The tech and social media giant made these adjustments in the same week it announced it would end its third-party fact-checking program. This move is seen as part of a broader effort to shed corporate policies that could draw criticism from the Republican-led Congress and the incoming Trump administration.

Deep Dive:

Meta's shift on DEI comes amid changing political winds in the United States. Since the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in college admissions, several companies have closed or scaled back DEI programs. The tech industry has not been immune: Microsoft cut several diversity-related roles last year, and Amazon is reportedly also pausing some DEI programs, according to CNBC last Friday.

According to Axios, Meta's Vice President of Human Resources, Janelle Gale, announced the changes in an internal memo to employees, attributing the policy shift to "changes in the legal and policy landscape in the United States surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion work."

Gale reportedly told employees that the Supreme Court's ruling on affirmative action signaled a "shift in how courts will handle DEI issues," and that "the term 'DEI' has also become contested."

Eliminating DEI programs marks a reversal of the company's public stance. According to Meta's Responsible Business Practices corporate page, the company previously listed diversity, equity, and inclusion as priorities critical to its stakeholders and its business.

Meta previously disclosed DEI-related data and, in its 2023 Responsible Business Report, stated it wanted to "build a workforce where employees from all backgrounds, with a wide range of experiences and perspectives, can be seen, valued, and heard."

However, the tech giant, which owns platforms such as Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp, had already cut a significant portion of its DEI staff that same year, including those responsible for recruiting underrepresented groups. According to CNBC, the company also laid off nearly all members of its "Sourcing Development Program" at the time, a program designed to equip employees from diverse backgrounds with the skills needed for corporate tech recruiting.

The company's 2023 report also provided an update on its supplier diversity program. Launched in 2016, the report stated the program "reflects Meta's goal of being a company that provides fair opportunities for all," according to a 2018 blog post.

In terms of supplier spending broken down by race and ethnicity, the company did make some progress in selecting more diverse suppliers. The 2023 program update showed that 80% of Meta's supply spending went to Asian-owned suppliers, a 39% increase from 2021. However, 6% of the company's supply spending went to white-owned suppliers and 5% to Black-owned suppliers, down 15% and 19% from 2021, respectively. According to the report, Latino- or Hispanic-owned suppliers accounted for 2% of Meta's spending in 2023, down 3% from 2021.

The original announcement of the supplier diversity program is no longer viewable on Meta's website.

Last year saw a wave of DEI policy rollbacks across industries. Notable U.S. companies that have eliminated DEI programs, cut related roles, or adjusted their strategies include: Tractor Supply, Harley Davidson, the maker of Jack Daniel's, Ford, Molson Coors, Lowe's, and Walmart.

This trend has continued into 2025, with McDonald's announcing a shift to a "global inclusion" strategy at the start of the year.

The change in federal leadership has also made climate alliances unpopular ahead of the presidential transition. In the past month, six major U.S. banks have exited the UN-backed Net-Zero Banking Alliance, and BlackRock confirmed to ESG Dive last Friday that it has left the Net-Zero Asset Managers initiative.