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Most Meta employees oppose ending DEI and fact-checking, survey finds

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New York, New York, USA- 06.25.2023 The NYC Pride March LGBTQIA Meta team Facebook owner

Meta workers overwhelming disagreed with the abolition of fact-checking and DEI programs, according to a new anonymous survey of 965 verified employees.

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Most Meta employees oppose the abolition of diversity, equity, and inclusion and fact-checking programs, according to a new anonymous survey of verified professionals at the tech company.

The company behind Facebook, Instagram, and Threads announced earlier this month that it would be ending all of its major DEI programs effective immediately, impacting both hiring and training practices as well as its decisions on which suppliers to work with. Meta also decided to end its partnerships with third-party fact-checkers and replace them with a “Community Notes” system that relies on user-generated context to address misinformation.

Meta workers overwhelming disagreed with the abolition of fact-checking programs, according to a survey of 965 verified employees on Blind, with 42 percent in opposition and just 36 percent in support. The majority (45 percent) saw fact-checking as having a positive effect by "preventing the spread of fake news," whereas the 34 percent who saw it negatively believed it led to the "creation of bias in information," despite the practice specifically focusing on verifiably false information.

The majority of employees also disagreed with the discontinuation of DEI programs, with 45 percent in opposition compared to 43 percent in support, with 44 percent of employees saying it had a positive impact on the company, while just 38 percent believed it had a negative impact. Those who viewed DEI positively pointed to the benefits of diversity and its role in "driving innovation," whereas those who viewed it negatively believed it to somehow lead to "reverse discrimination against the majority."

"We didn't end DEI. We shifted DEI to focus on hiring MAGAs,” one respondent said.

“We’ve seen countless people who weren’t hired through DEI and still fail to deliver strong results. But we don’t blame it on their race," another added.

Meta also recently announced new content rules that allow users to abuse LGBTQ+ people, including posts calling them “mentally ill” and denying the existence of transgender people. Posts like “A trans person isn’t a he or she, it’s an it” and “There’s no such thing as trans children” are deemed non-violating under the new policies. Users are also now permitted to refer to women as "property." The survey did not inquire about employees' thoughts on the content moderation changes.

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Ryan Adamczeski

Ryan is a reporter at The Advocate, and a graduate of New York University Tisch's Department of Dramatic Writing, with a focus in television writing and comedy. She first became a published author at the age of 15 with her YA novel "Someone Else's Stars," and is now a member of GALECA, the LGBTQ+ society of entertainment critics, and the IRE, the society of Investigative Reporters and Editors. Her first cover story, "Meet the young transgender teens changing America and the world," has been nominated for Outstanding Print Article at the 36th GLAAD Media Awards. In her free time, Ryan likes watching the New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild, listening to the Beach Boys, and practicing witchcraft.
Ryan is a reporter at The Advocate, and a graduate of New York University Tisch's Department of Dramatic Writing, with a focus in television writing and comedy. She first became a published author at the age of 15 with her YA novel "Someone Else's Stars," and is now a member of GALECA, the LGBTQ+ society of entertainment critics, and the IRE, the society of Investigative Reporters and Editors. Her first cover story, "Meet the young transgender teens changing America and the world," has been nominated for Outstanding Print Article at the 36th GLAAD Media Awards. In her free time, Ryan likes watching the New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild, listening to the Beach Boys, and practicing witchcraft.