San Francisco: Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, is set to lay off around 3,600 employees, approximately 5% of its workforce, as part of a move to enhance performance standards across the company. The layoffs will primarily target employees deemed low performers, according to an internal memo shared with Bloomberg on Tuesday.
Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated in the memo that the company will be focusing on maintaining “the strongest talent” within its ranks and will bring in new hires to replace those let go. The decision reflects Zuckerberg’s intention to accelerate the removal of low performers, speeding up the process of talent optimization.
“We need to be sure we’re moving fast enough,” Zuckerberg noted in the memo, emphasizing that these performance-based cuts would help the company evolve and stay competitive in the ever-evolving tech landscape. The company, which reported a workforce of approximately 72,400 employees in September 2024, continues to align its staffing strategy with its broader goals, which includes refining its focus on more efficient growth and performance outcomes.
The decision follows a broader trend in the corporate world, as similar moves have been seen by other tech giants such as Microsoft, which recently announced a much smaller cut impacting less than 1% of its staff. Performance-based layoffs, while a common strategy for streamlining operations and maintaining productivity standards, have stirred mixed reactions in the industry.
Political Alignment and Changing Priorities at Meta
The layoffs at Meta also come amid broader organizational shifts at the company. With Donald Trump’s anticipated return to the White House on January 20, Meta has been adjusting its approach in line with some conservative views. Zuckerberg has openly aligned more closely with certain political figures, including having dinner with Trump and bringing a Republican figure to head Meta’s public affairs.
This evolving stance is also reflected in the company’s policy changes. Meta recently announced the end of its US fact-checking program, which was aimed at combating misinformation across its platforms but faced backlash from conservative voices who viewed it as censorship. In place of fact-checking, Meta will introduce a new feature allowing users to add context to posts, mirroring features seen on X (formerly Twitter) under the leadership of Elon Musk.
The company has also taken steps to scale back its diversity and inclusion initiatives, signaling a shift towards a more flexible content moderation policy. This move includes relaxing the rules on certain forms of hostile speech on Facebook and Instagram, echoing the company’s growing alignment with political sensibilities that favor less stringent oversight.
With these significant adjustments, Meta seems to be positioning itself for a new era that focuses on performance, operational efficiency, and recalibrating its role within a politically shifting landscape. As it continues to adapt, the impact on its employees, users, and broader societal discourse remains to be seen.