Meta Platforms is under fire for removing internal comments from employees questioning the inclusion of UFC President Dana White on its board of directors. This action comes amid CEO Mark Zuckerberg's pledge to reduce content moderation on Meta's platforms, focusing on "free expression." The clash between these developments has caused unrest within the company, as reported by 404 Media.
On Monday, Zuckerberg introduced three new board members: Dana White, John Elkann, and Charlie Songhurst. The announcement was made on Workplace, Meta's internal platform, mirroring Zuckerberg's public statement. While some employees responded with light-hearted comments, others criticised White's history, particularly a video of him slapping his wife in a nightclub, for which he faced no legal or professional repercussions.
Employees also mentioned controversies involving UFC fighter Conor McGregor, who was ordered to pay $260,000 in damages for sexual assault by a civil court, a decision he is appealing. One employee described it as "disheartening" to see White celebrated, while others questioned Meta's vetting process and priorities in selecting board members.
Meta's Internal Community Relations team removed several critical posts, citing the company's Community Engagement Expectations policy. The policy aims to maintain a "respectful work environment" and prohibits "insulting, criticising, or antagonising" colleagues or board members. However, this policy application has raised concerns, with employees feeling their comments were unjustly removed.
Screenshots obtained by 404 Media show frustration among Meta employees. One commented, "Why do critical comments of this announcement keep getting deleted?" Others accused the company of fostering a "chilling" environment where dissent is suppressed under the pretext of maintaining workplace harmony.
The backlash coincided with Zuckerberg's announcement of significant changes to content moderation policies on Meta's platforms. In a post shared Tuesday, Zuckerberg stated Meta would simplify its rules and ease restrictions on controversial topics like immigration and gender, framing it as a return to promoting free expression. Joel Kaplan, Meta's new head of Global Affairs, described the changes as encouraging "more speech and fewer mistakes."
Employees noted the contradiction between Meta's external push for free speech and its internal moderation practices. One asked whether the shift to "more speech" would apply to employee discussions, while another observed that criticism of company decisions seemed to fall under the "disruptive content" category.
Meta spokesperson Tracy Clayton defended the company's actions, stating that internal and external policies are separate and that the CEE is designed to minimise workplace disruptions. Clayton added that some critical comments remained visible because they did not violate the policy.