Meta, Amazon roll back diversity programs ahead of Trump inauguration – Reuters

Meta Platforms and Amazon are cutting diversity programs ahead of Republican Donald Trump's return to the presidency and amid mounting criticism from conservative groups.

This is reported by Reuters.

As noted, some of the largest US companies are scaling back their diversity initiatives years after pushing for more inclusive policies following protests over the police killing of George Floyd and other black Americans in 2020.

“Meta is discontinuing its diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) programs, including in hiring, training and supplier selection”, Reuters quoted an internal memo to employees. Meta will no longer have a dedicated team focused on DEI.

Amazon, for its part, has also decided to phase out «legacy programs» related to inclusion by the end of 2024. A December memo to Amazon employees said the company aimed to complete such programs by the end of 2024.

Conservative groups have condemned DEI programs and threatened to sue companies that use them. This week, billionaire Elon Musk and other Trump allies accused the projects, without evidence, of hindering the response to wildfires in Los Angeles, Reuters reports.

«The legal and political landscape surrounding diversity, equality and inclusion efforts in the United States is changing», — Meta's vice president of human resources, Janelle Gale, said.