Mark Zuckerberg Goes Mask-Off and Ditches Diversity

Mark Zuckerberg is finally ready to be his true self. Surprise: He sucks.

a new one Report from the New York Times It details how Zuck tapped a small team of executives to help him reshape how the meta platforms Facebook, Instagram and Threads fit together. So far, that has been included Fact-checking is over, Rolling back moderation rules That protected the marginalized, and advanced the algorithm Promote more political content. Now, a memo to staff Retrieved from AxiosYou can add diversity, equity and inclusion to Zuckerberg’s list of business principles.

The company announced it would eliminate its DEI team, stop efforts to work with minority-owned supplier businesses and end representation goals, among other policy changes. Changes will be effective immediately

The shift to the right follows Zuckerberg’s trip to Mar-a-Lago for Thanksgiving, where he spent time with President-elect Donald Trump. But, according to the Times, it’s been bubbling inside Mater’s CEO for some time. He’s reportedly forced to embrace “progressive” causes—you know, those radical left-aligned beliefs like “equal opportunity is good” and “you shouldn’t just be lied to by your employees and outside forces.” Behind the scenes, the Times says he is being talked to Unhinged Loon Marc Andreessen And how others want him to take a “free speech” approach to running his companies.

Interestingly, Zuckerberg’s techno-libertarian version of “free speech” looks a lot like “suppressing marginalized people” in reality. Zook, along with his small circle of like-minded ghosts, Rewriting the company’s content moderation policy A way that would ban saying “white people have mental illness” but allow saying “gay people have mental illness”. The organization too Tana transgender and nonbinary theme options From its Messenger chat app.

And then there is the decision to end the DEI program. Meta claimed the reason for the call was because “the legal and policy landscape surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the United States is changing.” In a memo obtained by Axios, Janelle Gale, Meta’s vice president of human resources, cited recent Supreme Court decisions that “signal a shift in how courts will approach DEI” — a clear reference to the SCOTUS decision. Affirmative action programs strike down in the college admissions office, as well as an upcoming “Reverse Discrimination” Case The court will hear that DEI could set a precedent to attack the initiative.

But more than that, it seems the decision is an extension of Zuckerberg’s worldview. His friends spent years in the venture capital world of Silicon Valley DEI program harpingConsider themselves the kings of meritocracy and pooh-pooh the idea that anyone from a less privileged background will face discrimination. really As capable as their counterparts. Of course, that’s the reality Meritism is a myth. actually, Research has found Believing that achievement results in less empathy and more discriminatory behavior.

It’s a definite departure from the way the company has presented itself over the past few years. After all, the company is just that Successfully defended one of his DEI efforts In court this past summer in 2023, the meta went public stated“Our commitment to DEI is at the heart of who we are as a company.” And just two years ago, Meta released a diversity report that highlighted how it was able to attract more talent from marginalized communities by hiring more remote workers. (The company has since issued a Back to office orders that disproportionately affecting the same workers.)

From all the decisions Zuckerberg has made at his company over the past few weeks, it’s clear that there’s one kind of diversity he really does: diversity of thought that doesn’t agree with him.