Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, has announced internally that it will scale back various initiatives. Employees will no longer be required to engage with candidates from underrepresented backgrounds for open job positions, nor will they be obliged to conduct business with “diverse” suppliers. Maxine Williams, Meta’s Chief Diversity Officer, will be transitioning to a different role within the company.

Similarly, Amazon informed its staff that it is in the process of phasing out outdated programs and materials after reviewing hundreds of its initiatives.

Several American companies have recently disclosed plans to reduce or end their diversity initiatives. Along with McDonald’s and Walmart, companies like Harley-Davidson and Brown-Forman, known for its Jack Daniel’s brand, are scaling back their diversity efforts. This shift appears to be a response to a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in June 2023, which ended affirmative action in university admissions. McDonald’s also pointed to a “changing landscape” around these topics, while well-known activist Robby Starbuck led a campaign against what he terms “woke” companies.

Meta’s move comes just three days after CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the company would stop fact-checking content in the United States. Zuckerberg explained that these checks often led to censorship, as they frequently involved political statements or discussions.