"What’s in a name?" was famously coined by Shakespeare. While Meta is 'ending' there DEI Programs, are they just being called another name? Let's explore.

Meta confirms Axios report that the company is is axing its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, including for hiring and training.

Meta's push to diversify its workforce actually seems to have worked, as its own statistics show. Now that the company is pulling back on DEI, there will likely be backsliding. Why it matters: The most obvious,

Among the changes, Meta is ending the company’s “Diverse Slate Approach” of considering qualified candidates from underrepresented groups for its open roles.

“The Supreme Court of the United States has recently made decisions signaling a shift in how courts will approach DEI,” Gale wrote. “The term ‘DEI’ has also become charged, in part because it is understood by some as a practice that suggests preferential treatment of some groups over others.”

The end of the company's DEI efforts means that it will no longer use a "diverse slate approach," which it began implementing in 2015. According to a 2017 blog post on Meta's website about the strategy, it "sets the expectation that hiring managers will consider candidates from underrepresented backgrounds when interviewing for an open position."

Meta told employees Friday it will cut its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) team and roll back several related programs, marking another major shift in policy for the leading social media company.