Meta has reportedly terminated roughly 20 employees for allegedly leaking confidential company information, as CEO Mark Zuckerberg intensifies efforts to crack down on internal leaks.
The terminations follow Zuckerberg’s frustrated remarks during an all-hands meeting last month, where he complained that “everything I say leaks. It sucks.”
Zuckerberg’s lament about leaks was ironically leaked almost immediately, fueling further scrutiny of Meta’s internal culture and management practices. During the meeting, he hinted that the company would need to be less transparent going forward and warned that employees caught leaking sensitive information would face termination.
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Now, according to a report by The Verge, Meta has followed through on that warning. In a statement, the company said: “We tell employees when they join the company, and we offer periodic reminders, that it is against our policies to leak internal information, no matter the intent. We recently conducted an investigation that resulted in roughly 20 employees being terminated for sharing confidential information outside the company, and we expect there will be more. We take this seriously and will continue to take action when we identify leaks.”
Meta’s chief technology officer, Andrew Bosworth, confirmed earlier this month that the company was close to identifying the leakers, implying that additional dismissals could follow.
In response to the leaks, Meta has introduced sweeping changes to internal meetings to limit information from spreading. Employees can no longer vote on which questions to ask Zuckerberg, a system that previously allowed the most popular topics to be addressed. Additionally, comments during live presentations have been disabled, and questions deemed potentially problematic if leaked are now skipped altogether.
Zuckerberg has also indicated that Meta’s overall transparency will be reduced, making it harder for employees to access sensitive discussions. These measures highlight a growing culture of secrecy within the company, signaling a shift from its previous open-information approach.
Why the Surge in Leaks?
The sudden spike in leaks at Meta appears to coincide with Zuckerberg’s increasing alignment with Donald Trump in recent months.
Meta’s recent decision to donate $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund in December has raised eyebrows, as have several controversial policy shifts perceived as concessions to Trump’s political base. These include:
- The termination of Meta’s DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs
- The removal of third-party fact-checkers
- The scaling back of content moderation policies
Zuckerberg, who previously positioned himself as a champion of free expression, has now faced accusations of bowing to political pressure. While he was among the first tech executives to congratulate Trump on his 2024 election victory, the relationship between the two remains complicated.
Trump has publicly criticized Meta in the past, accusing the company of censorship and political bias. In 2021, Facebook (now Meta) banned Trump for two years following the January 6 insurrection, leading to Trump labeling the platform an “enemy of the people”. He also accused Zuckerberg of plotting against him during the 2020 election, vowing that the Meta CEO would “spend the rest of his life in prison” if he ever did it again.
Now, with Meta’s policies seemingly shifting in Trump’s favor, internal discontent within the company appears to be mounting, leading to a rise in leaks exposing these controversial changes.
Lavish Bonuses for Executives Amid Layoffs
The firing of rank-and-file employees for leaking information comes against the backdrop of executive pay increases at Meta.
The company recently approved a plan to boost executive bonuses by up to 200% of their base salary—a move that has sparked criticism given that Meta is simultaneously cutting 5% of its workforce (approximately 4,000 employees).
Meta has already conducted mass layoffs since 2022, with more than 21,000 employees losing their jobs as part of what Zuckerberg calls the “Year of Efficiency”. However, the contrast between lavish executive bonuses and widespread job cuts has fueled employee dissatisfaction, making leaks even more likely.
Meta Apologizes After Reels Flooded with Explicit Content
Adding to Meta’s recent troubles, the company was forced to apologize yesterday after an “error” caused its Reels platform to be flooded with violent and pornographic content. The incident embarrassed the company at a time when it is already facing backlash over content moderation issues, particularly following its decision to scale back fact-checking and moderation efforts.
With internal tensions rising, Zuckerberg’s crackdown on leaks appears to mark a new era of secrecy at Meta. Employees who were once accustomed to an open culture are now facing harsh penalties for sharing information, while the company’s ties to Trump and executive pay increases continue to spark controversy.