'A HOSTILE AND UNSAFE WORK ENVIRONMENT...' META EMPLOYEES' OPEN LETTER TO MARK ZUCKERBERG ON ‘CENSORING’ POSTS AND MORE

The ongoing war between Israel and Palestine has seen protests in different parts of the world. Recently, Google sacked more than 50 employees after they protested against the company’s deal with Israel. Now, a group of Meta employees have penned down an open letter to CEO Mark Zuckerberg. In the letter,  according to a report by Business Insider, the employees say that they are disappointed with the company. “We wish to express our disappointment and astonishment at the lack of acknowledgement and care the leaders of this company have shown toward the Palestinian community and its allies,” the employees wrote.

The employees further accused the company of censorship and “biased leadership statements.” As per the report, the employees in the letter said, “Any open support for our Palestinian colleagues or the millions facing a humanitarian crisis in Palestine is met with internal censorship of employee concerns, biased leadership statements showing one-sided support, and external censorship that is raising public alarm and distrust of our platforms.”

Citing examples, the employees said posts are taken down even when it was from a colleague expressing their grief. Or even “when the post is a link to a fundraiser to help the Gazans. Even when asking questions about product bugs that affect Palestinian voices.”

In the letter, employees alleged plain bias towards Palestine people. Zuckerberg posted in October criticising the attack by Hamas and called it “evil”. However, the employees said that the company leaders do not “similarly share support for our Palestinian colleagues and allies nor condemnation of the attacks on Palestine, which have now taken 35,000 civilian lives and created a humanitarian crisis of displacement and starvation for 2 million Palestinians.”

This has created a hostile and unsafe work environment for “hundreds of our Palestinian, Arab, Muslim, anti-Zionist Jew, and anti-genocide colleagues at the company, who have felt consistently alienated and uncomfortable at work,” the employees added.

Furthermore the employees said that censorship should end and Meta should “stop deleting employee’s words internally in order to foster an inclusive environment where all communities feel seen, heard, and safe.”

The employees, as per the report implored Zuckerberg “to end the silence - issue a public statement urging for an immediate, permanent ceasefire in Gaza.”

Also read: Indian techie laid off by Tesla bags Rs 4 crore Meta job. He refused offers from LinkedIn, TikTok

2024-05-05T05:05:52Z dg43tfdfdgfd