The social media company Meta has reportedly said to its internal workers that they’re not to discuss the overturning of the Roe vs. Wade ruling, a report from The New York Times has stated.
The company has taken to deleting any internal messages that talk about the topic of abortions, having previously sent a memo to all its workers where it pointed out that open discussions would not be allowed, as they’re considered “a heightened risk of creating a hostile work environment.”
One of the people who work at Meta took to social media to express his feelings on the matter. “On our internal Workplace platform, moderators swiftly remove posts or comments mentioning abortion,” said software engineer Ambroos Vaes. “Limited discussion can only happen in groups of up to 20 employees who follow a set playbook, but not out in the open.”
This is not the first time that Meta attempts to keep its workers tight-lipped to avoid having to deal with any controversies that stem from potential debates. Back in 2020, the company made an update to its Respectful Communication Policy, which essentially forbade employees from talking about any hot button socio-political issues while they were at the office. These changes were made in the wake of the George Floyd shooting and the massive upset it caused within the US communities.
However, it’s worth pointing out that Meta also sent out a statement to its workers telling them that it would be paying them back for all their health-related travel needs towards states that provide the necessary reproductive services, as long as it’s done within “the extent permitted by the law”. This policy has been followed by many other companies in the US, such as Google and has been in place far before the Roe vs Wade ruling was overturned.
