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Meta made a number of controversial moves in early January, and while employees have voiced concerns, their concerns are disappearing, according to reports.
It all started on Jan. 7, when Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced major changes at the company. First, it would be sunsetting its third-party fact-checking system, opting instead for a community notes system akin to the one Elon Musk instituted at X. Meta also changed its content moderation guidelines, without which members of the LGBTQ+ community may be referred to as having “mental illness” and women as being property, CNN reported. Zuckerberg also brought on the former chief of staff for former President George W. Bush, Joel Kaplan, as the company’s new chief global affairs officer, as well as Trump loyalist and UFC head Dana White.
Some employees shared their discontent over the changes on Workplace, the company’s in-house server, expressing concern that the new changes would reflect “unintended or unwanted” company values, CNBC reported. One worker wanted to know, “How the policy reflects our values and perspectives as a company, and whether these are different to the values we’ve expressed in the past; Who (if any) LGBT groups [internal or external] were consulted as part of this change,” according to a post obtained by 404 Media. Someone from the company’s policy team replied, saying that the “core values have not changed.” Other employees noted how unhappy LGBTQ+ employees are with the changes.
Another worker reportedly said the company is “sending a bigger, stronger message to people that facts no longer matter, and conflating that with a victory for free speech.” Other employees reportedly echoed this concern, afraid that misinformation will continue spreading and could result in “racist and transphobic content.”
However, some of those comments, including some about White’s alleged domestic abuse, were removed from Workplace, according to CNBC. A member of the company’s employee relations team posted to the discussion, “it’s important that we maintain a respectful work environment where people can do their best work,” reported 404 Media. The employee also reminded the forum that “criticizing, or antagonizing our colleagues or Board members is not aligned with CEE (community engagement expectations).”
When reached for comment, a Meta spokesperson told HR Brew, “There have also been internal posts/comments that offered criticism and support as well that have not been removed.”
Meta relies on its CEE and internal community relations team to moderate content on its internal server, and does not allow for all types of expression at work. “Our CEE is designed to help minimize disruption, so employees can focus and remain productive,” the spokesperson said.
However, several employees said their comments didn’t violate CEE, and others believe that Meta is censoring its workers, even as the company loosens guidelines for users.