Meta and Amazon Scrap Fact-Checking and DEI Programs; Biden Calls Decision 'Shameful'

Jan 11, 2025, 07:58 AM

Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced it is ending its third-party fact-checking program in the United States and replacing it with a community-driven system similar to X's Community Notes. CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated that "fact-checkers have just been too politically biased," and the move is intended to empower users to correct misinformation on the platforms. In addition, Meta is dismantling its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, including initiatives related to hiring, training, and supplier diversity. In an internal memo, the company stated that these programs are "no longer relevant" as it adapts to a changing legal and political landscape. Amazon.com Inc. is also reportedly winding down some of its DEI programs, according to a memo from Candy Castleberry, the company's vice president of inclusive experience, who noted that certain initiatives are "outdated." The decisions by both tech giants come ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration and align with a broader trend among U.S. corporations reevaluating their diversity initiatives amid shifting political priorities. Mark Zuckerberg recently met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago during Thanksgiving. He defended the company's actions, asserting that Meta faced "massive institutional pressure to basically start censoring content" and expressed a desire to promote free speech on its platforms. President Joe Biden criticized Meta's decision to end fact-checking, calling it "really shameful" and "contrary to American justice," emphasizing that "telling the truth matters."