politics
Meta prohibits discussion of controversial issues in the workplace
The logo of Meta, the umbrella brand of the Facebook group, on a smartphone, in the background the logos of Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, Whatsapp and Oculus. photo
© Andre M. Chang/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
The large social networks in the USA are under general suspicion among conservative politicians of being more left-liberal in orientation. The Facebook group Meta wants to get out of the line of fire.
In the future, employees of the Facebook group Meta should no longer have discussions on controversial political issues such as abortion, gun control or the effectiveness of vaccines while at work. This was reported by the US magazine “Fortune”, citing an internal instruction from Meta HR Manager Lori Goler.
According to the report, Goler writes to all employees in an internal forum that the company is introducing new rules that dictate what is considered appropriate discussion in the workplace. “As (company founder) Mark (Zuckerberg) recently mentioned, we need to make a number of cultural shifts that will help us deliver on our priorities,” Goler wrote.
The disadvantage of this is that you will no longer allow any kind of expression of opinion in the workplace. “We believe this is the right thing for the long-term health of our internal community.”
Guidelines valid worldwide
A meta spokeswoman explained that it was an update of the previous internal guidelines on the subject, which was valid worldwide. Meta attaches great importance to the expression of opinions, open discussions and a corporate culture based on respect and inclusion. “We have updated our employee expectations to reflect what is appropriate for our employees in the workplace. This allows us to reduce distractions while maintaining an environment that is respectful, inclusive and where employees can do their best work.”
The Meta leadership has repeatedly been accused of favoring a certain political camp and of manipulating the Facebook news feed algorithms accordingly. Republicans in the US House of Representatives accused Facebook of suppressing reports of possible misconduct by Hunter Biden, son of US President Joe Biden.