Meta announced the termination of 20 employees for leaking internal information, emphasizing its policy against such breaches. This move follows CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s shift towards closer alignment with Donald Trump, as he navigates internal and external pressures. In a recent employee meeting, Zuckerberg expressed frustration over information leaks and indicated he would restrict openness moving forward. His overtures to Trump include dining together, donations to the president’s inauguration fund, and a shake-up of his political team. Meta’s actions reflect a broader trend in the tech industry of aligning with Republican ideals since Trump’s election victory.
San Francisco, United States:
On Thursday, Meta announced the termination of 20 employees for leaking information to the press, amid growing scrutiny of CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s recent alignment with US President Donald Trump. A Meta spokesperson confirmed a report initially disclosed by The Verge, stating, “We inform employees upon joining the company, and we provide periodic reminders that leaking internal information, regardless of intent, violates our policies.”
“A recent investigation led to the dismissal of approximately 20 employees for sharing confidential information externally, and we anticipate further actions,” the company added.
“We take this matter seriously and will continue to act when we detect leaks.”
These layoffs followed a series of reports related to Zuckerberg’s discussions with employees.
In one meeting highlighted by The Verge, Zuckerberg expressed his reluctance to share information openly due to frequent leaks, saying, “We try to be really open, and then everything I say leaks. It sucks.”
He also cautioned employees to “buckle up” for the upcoming year and expressed that Meta would collaborate productively with the White House.
Since Trump’s election victory in November, tech leaders have mostly aligned with him, with Zuckerberg notably shifting toward Republican views upon resuming office.
Zuckerberg has increased his engagement with Trump, who threatened him with legal consequences last summer after Facebook banned the president in January 2021 for inciting the Capitol attack.
The CEO and founder has hosted several dinners with Trump, contributed to the president’s inauguration fund, relaxed content moderation policies, and ended Facebook’s US fact-checking program to strengthen ties with the new Republican administration.
Additionally, his longstanding political affairs head was replaced by a notable Republican, and Trump associate Dana White was appointed to his board following the US election.
These actions resonate with the conservative ideologies of the president and his supporters, along with masculine entertainers and figures like Elon Musk.
On the Joe Rogan podcast, Zuckerberg remarked that “a lot of the corporate world is pretty culturally neutered” and that fostering masculine energy “is good.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)