News: Buckle up! Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg warns employees of ‘crazy year’ ahead

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Buckle up! Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg warns employees of ‘crazy year’ ahead

With Meta reshaping its policies, workforce, and alliances, is this the dawn of a new era – or the start of its reckoning?
Buckle up! Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg warns employees of ‘crazy year’ ahead
 

“We’re in the middle of a pretty rapidly changing policy and regulatory landscape,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said.

 

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has told employees to “buckle up” as the next 12 months would be one “crazy year” ahead.

The Facebook founder discussed Meta’s priorities at an hour-long meeting attended by 70,000 employees.

Tech investments and policy changes at Meta

Meta’s road map reportedly included plans with artificial intelligence, the metaverse and new data centres.

Apart from tech investments, however, Zuckerberg also highlighted shifts in company policies, such as decisions to soften rules around online speech, scale back DEI initiatives, end fact-checking programmes, and build an alliance with US President Donald Trump.

Zuckerberg said Meta now had an “opportunity to have a productive partnership with the United States government” – something that other businesses were also working towards.

“We’re in the middle of a pretty rapidly changing policy and regulatory landscape that views any policy that might advantage any one group of people over another as something that is unlawful,” Zuckerberg said.

“Because of that, we and every other institutions out there are going to need to adjust.”

Zuckerberg earlier praised Trump for the latter’s support of US technology companies.

“We now have a US administration that is proud of our leading companies, prioritises American technology winning, and that will defend our values and interests abroad,” he said.

The Meta CEO was among the VIPs from Silicon Valley who attended Trump’s inauguration last month. The company, meanwhile, contributed US$1 million to the inauguration budget.

Also Read: The CEOs supporting Trump 2.0

A warning to Meta employees who leak internal info

In the same companywide meeting, Zuckerberg expressed dismay over team members who allegedly leak the contents of internal meetings to the public.

Zuckerberg, who has landed in hot water in the past for statements made at Q&As with employees, said he would no longer be so candid at such events because of the tendency of some staff members to divulge internal discussions.

Unsurprisingly, his statements at the recent meeting were also leaked online, media reports suggested.

“We try to be really open and then everything I say leaks. It sucks,” the Meta CEO said.

This complaint prompted Meta’s Chief Information Security Officer Guy Rosen to issue a stern warning to employees.

“When information is stolen or leaked, there are repercussions beyond the immediate security impact,” Rosen purportedly said in a memo reviewed by The Verge.

“Our teams become demoralised and we all waste time that is better spent working on our products and toward our goals and mission,” the security chief said, adding that sanctions against errant staff would include termination.

Also Read: DeepSeek is turning the AI world upside down

Meta layoffs to affect low performers: memo

Like other Big Tech companies aiming to reduce headcount yet again, Meta has been under scrutiny and experiencing low employee morale because of reported plans to cut jobs.

The Facebook parent company is allegedly preparing to lay off 3,600 employees due to poor performance.

Zuckerberg recently sent out a memo to staff, informing them that he would “raise the bar” in what looks to be an “intense year” for the company.

“Meta is working on building some of the most important technologies in the world – AI, glasses as the next computing platform, and the future of social media,” Zuckerberg said.

“This is going to be an intense year, and I want to make sure we have the best people on our teams.”

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Topics: Business, Technology, #Layoffs

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