GhArticles.com Every News in Detail
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has dismissed 20 employees for leaking internal information to the media, following the company’s controversial pivot towards US President Donald Trump.
The terminations come weeks after remarks made by Zuckerberg and senior Meta staff during internal meetings were reported by the press. A Meta spokesperson confirmed the action, stating, “We recently conducted an investigation that resulted in roughly 20 employees being terminated for sharing confidential information outside the company, and we expect there will be more.”
The spokesperson emphasized Meta’s strict policies against leaking internal information, regardless of intent. “We take this seriously and will continue to take action when we identify leaks,” the statement added.
Meta has faced internal turmoil since Zuckerberg announced policy changes that critics argue align the company with the new Trump administration. These changes include scrapping Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and replacing fact-checking efforts with community notes, similar to those used on X (formerly Twitter).
Zuckerberg expressed frustration over the leaks during an internal meeting, saying, “We try to be really open, and then everything I say leaks. It sucks.” Ironically, his comments were also leaked to the media, prompting Meta to issue a company-wide memo warning that leaking information was a sackable offense.
Meta’s Chief Information Security Officer, Guy Rosen, noted in a memo that leaks not only pose security risks but also demoralize staff and distract from the company’s goals. Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth added that Meta is “making progress on catching people,” a statement that was also leaked.
Since Trump’s re-election in November 2024, Zuckerberg has moved to align Meta with the new administration. The CEO has dined with Trump, donated to his inauguration fund, and ended Facebook’s US fact-checking program. Additionally, he replaced Meta’s political affairs head with a prominent Republican and appointed Trump ally Dana White to the company’s board.
The firings come on the heels of broader layoffs, with Meta having recently let go of around 4,000 ‘low-performing’ workers, representing about 5% of its workforce. Zuckerberg has warned employees to “buckle up” for a challenging year, as Meta ramps up its efforts in artificial intelligence and prepares to hire new talent to replace the ousted employees.
