Meta axes diversity and inclusion programme

Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg during the tech giant’s Connect developer conference in Menlo Park, California (Godofredo A Vasquez/AP)

Joining companies such as John Deere and Walmart, Facebook and Instagram’s parent company Meta Platforms Inc is getting rid of its diversity, equity and inclusion programme that includes hiring, training and picking vendors, a company spokesperson confirmed on Friday.

The move, which was first reported by Axios, comes on the heels of the social media giant’s decision to end its third-party fact-checking programme and scale back policies on hate speech and abuse.