Meta's leak problem just cost 20 employees their jobs, with more firings expected

[midian182]

What just happened? Around a month after Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg complained about company leaks, roughly 20 employees have been fired for allegedly leaking confidential information, and it sounds as if more terminations will follow. Exactly what the leaks entailed is unclear.

Zuckerberg highlighted the problem of company leaks during an all-hands meeting last month. Ironically, his rant leaked online almost immediately.

"We try to be really open and then everything I say leaks. It sucks," Zuckerberg said.

"I think there are a bunch of things that are value-destroying that I'm not going to talk about," he added. "Maybe it's the nature of running a company of this scale. But it's a little bit of a bummer."

Meta said that employees discovered to be leaking information would be fired. Now, The Verge reports that "roughly" 20 workers have lost their jobs for ignoring the warning.

"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," Meta told the publication. "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, said the company was close to identifying the leakers earlier this month.

Meta has changed elements of its meetings to try to mitigate the leaking problem. No longer can employees vote on which questions to ask Zuckerberg – the CEO used to answer those with the most votes. The comments section in the live presentations has also been disabled, and questions deemed potentially problematic if leaked are now skipped. Zuckerberg also said he would be less transparent due to the leaks.

The surge in leaks at Meta appears tied to Zuckerberg's growing ties with Donald Trump in recent months. The company donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund in December, and Zuckerberg's ending of Meta DEI programs, the removal of third-party fact checkers, and the cutting back on censorship have been viewed as an appeasement to the president.

Zuckerberg was one of the many tech executives who were quick to congratulate Trump on his election victory. But the pair have had a strained relationship in the past. Facebook banned Trump for two years shortly after the January 6 insurrection in 2021. Trump has also called Facebook the enemy of the people, accused Zuckerberg of plotting against him during the 2020 election, and has said he would "spend the rest of his life in prison" if he ever did it again.

Meta recently confirmed that it had approved a plan to increase bonuses for its executives by up to 200% of their base salary. This comes as the company lays off 5% of its workforce, or 4,000 people.

In other Meta news, the company apologized for an "error" yesterday that flooded Reels with violent and pornographic content.

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Meta's leak problem just cost 20 employees their jobs, with more firings expected

 

[magoid]

You know somebody have a mental problem when they do things that would cost their job, just because they are so entrenched in their political views. It is like being a teenager in the body of a adult.

Don't like it there? Hold on until you find some workplace you like more. But no, you got your *** fired in the middle of a firing spree in the tech sector, how long for you to find another place that pays the same or better? Chances are once your reserves are spent, you will have to grab a lower paying job just to avoid living on the streets, or go back to our parents house (if you still have that option).

All of that headache for what? You are not a "Snowden" whistleblower, you are just a kid spreading gossip about a company with a already bad reputation. This is childish behavior. No wonder tech companies lobby so much for foreign employees, not only those cost less, but tend to have their priorities strait.

 

[The Talking Tech]

Let me guess were those fired employees happened to be from the black and minority communities as Trump mandated to be?

I wouldn't doubt it at all.

 

[Benses]

You know somebody have a mental problem when they do things that would cost their job, just because they are so entrenched in their political views. It is like being a teenager in the body of a adult.

Don't like it there? Hold on until you find some workplace you like more. But no, you got your *** fired in the middle of a firing spree in the tech sector, how long for you to find another place that pays the same or better? Chances are once your reserves are spent, you will have to grab a lower paying job just to avoid living on the streets, or go back to our parents house (if you still have that option).

All of that headache for what? You are not a "Snowden" whistleblower, you are just a kid spreading gossip about a company with a already bad reputation. This is childish behavior. No wonder tech companies lobby so much for foreign employees, not only those cost less, but tend to have their priorities strait.

Uh.. What?

 

[pnntmp]

All these guys were probably troubled wokesters unhappy about the end of censorship and the end of the DEI lunacy.
They should not merely be fired, but their names should be announced so that nobody hires them again.

 

[Au Contraire]

Let me guess were those fired employees happened to be from the black and minority communities as Trump mandated to be?

I wouldn't doubt it at all.

I'm sincerely curious - when and where did Mr. now President Trump say that? Or anything remotely resembling that?
And by the way, whether plain Mr. or any other title, how can he "mandate" any such thing?

 

[The Talking Tech]

I'm sincerely curious - when and where did Mr. now President Trump say that? Or anything remotely resembling that?
And by the way, whether plain Mr. or any other title, how can he "mandate" any such thing?

Where have you been in the last 30 days since Trump took office?

Are you really telling me you haven't heard of Trump dismantling the DEI initiative that encouraged employers to maintain an equal jobs opportunity for blacks and minorities.

You must be joking right???....or are you that off that radar??

 

[BogdanR]

No matter how much of a spineless amoeba Zuckerberg is, Meta is his company and he can do whatever he wants with it, within the limits of the law, of course. Any other company would do the same to leakers.

That being said, some commentators here would make Snowden proud! /sarcasm off.

 

[integr8d]

Where have you been in the last 30 days since Trump took office?

Are you really telling me you haven't heard of Trump dismantling the DEI initiative that encouraged employers to maintain an equal jobs opportunity for blacks and minorities.

You must be joking right???....or are you that off that radar??

You do know that the E in DEI stands for ‘Equity’, right??? As in not ‘maintain(ing) an equal jobs opportunity’ but rather >forcing< an equal jobs OUTCOME.

 

[Plutoisaplanet]

Where have you been in the last 30 days since Trump took office?

Are you really telling me you haven't heard of Trump dismantling the DEI initiative that encouraged employers to maintain an equal jobs opportunity for blacks and minorities.

You must be joking right???....or are you that off that radar??

How do you get equal opportunity employment mixed up with DEI? There have been laws to illegalize discrimination in employment for a long time. DEI actually harms this by having targets for racial employment (not equal opportunity, but equitable employment). DEI typically involves programs that have little to do with employment opportunities like encouraging a change in people's language and behavior (which I argue were never racist, discriminating, or even non-inclusive).

And what the hell does this topic have to do with Meta?? They fired people who are leaking internal communications, and you decide to bring up Trump and suggest it's got something to do with DEI?

 

[BuckarooBonzaii]

I would think that when working at a job or on a project, it's the company's property and not yours. Leaks are basically unlawful/unauthorized release of information and can have legal consequences which is not the same as whistleblowers. It's just like when people upload criminal acts on social media but saying it's a prank. My company always reminded us not to share internal memos or emails outside
of our company.

 

[The Talking Tech]

How do you get equal opportunity employment mixed up with DEI? There have been laws to illegalize discrimination in employment for a long time. DEI actually harms this by having targets for racial employment (not equal opportunity, but equitable employment). DEI typically involves programs that have little to do with employment opportunities like encouraging a change in people's language and behavior (which I argue were never racist, discriminating, or even non-inclusive).

And what the hell does this topic have to do with Meta?? They fired people who are leaking internal communications, and you decide to bring up Trump and suggest it's got something to do with DEI?

You can save face same with all Trump supporters and call it "discrimination", but the actual legal standing is to ensure blacks and minorities get equal job opportunities, something that for once puts those communities in equal grounds.

And once again you would want to understand that instead of choosing ignorance.

 

[The Talking Tech]

You do know that the E in DEI stands for ‘Equity’, right??? As in not ‘maintain(ing) an equal jobs opportunity’ but rather >forcing< an equal jobs OUTCOME.

You can call it "forcing", but its legal standing is equality...but once again Trump supporters wouldn't understand the meaning of it.

 

[integr8d]

You can call it "forcing", but its legal standing is equality...but once again Trump supporters wouldn't understand the meaning of it.

If there are 2 job openings and 3 applicants, 2 of whom studied their a**es off and 1 of whom didn’t but is ‘protected’ and ‘underserved’ and that 3rd person gets one of the slots, that isn’t equal opportunity; It’s equal outcome… Thankfully, your vodka-fueled descendant of Jamaican sl*ve owners made a cartoon to make that concept easier to grasp.

 

[opckieran]

Let me guess were those fired employees happened to be from the black and minority communities as Trump mandated to be?

I wouldn't doubt it at all.

Where have you been in the last 30 days since Trump took office?

Are you really telling me you haven't heard of Trump dismantling the DEI initiative that encouraged employers to maintain an equal jobs opportunity for blacks and minorities.

You must be joking right???....or are you that off that radar??

You can save face same with all Trump supporters and call it "discrimination", but the actual legal standing is to ensure blacks and minorities get equal job opportunities something that for once put those communities in equal grounds.

But once again you would want to understand that.

You can call it "forcing", but its legal standing is equality...but once again Trump supporters wouldn't understand the meaning of it.

Losing your s*** over 20 leakers getting laid off.

Proof positive that DEI (which had literally nothing to do with this article) is a cult.

Better stock up on your meds. Bobby's comin' for 'em!

 

[The Talking Tech]

If there are 2 job openings and 3 applicants, 2 of whom studied their a**es off and 1 of whom didn’t but is ‘protected’ and ‘underserved’ and that 3rd person gets one of the slots, that isn’t equal opportunity; It’s equal outcome… Thankfully, your vodka-fueled descendant of Jamaican sl*ve owners made a cartoon to make that concept easier to grasp.

As I said Trump supporters can't possibly understand the whole concept behind DEI... trying to explain it, it's like getting into the whole "is COVID real"? Situation again in which Trump himself called it a "hoax" while being sick with it....Ha Ha Ha

 

[The Talking Tech]

Losing your s*** over 20 leakers getting laid off.

Proof positive that DEI (which had literally nothing to do with this article) is a cult.

Better stock up on your meds. Bobby's comin' for 'em!

Well the more "Bobby" takes away the more ground for the Democrats to win...Florida seat elections are coming soon...more ground for impeachments.

I say, take everything away !

 

[lonetac]

Zuck is a terrible person, no doubt. Cant stand the man.

But if you leak confidential information, its expected you would get fired. This might be the first time I agree with him ever.

The company I work for, there would be legal repercussions beyond just getting fired for something like that.

Data classification is a thing for a reason.

 

[Beerfloat]

I think there’s something in the Geneva conventions against putting pictures like this on your front page.

 

[RudyBob]

Rules are rules. Who pays them?

 

[ZedRM]

Maybe if the Zuck wasn't such a low-life leech he would inspire more loyalty. Go figure..

 

[axiomatic13]

Most people don't leak things if their company isn't doing something shady?

 

[brucek]

Strange headline. It makes it sound like 20 innocent employees randomly lost their job because Meta has a "leak problem", vs. the much more straightforward "Large company fires 20 employees who improperly disclosed confidential data". The latter is hardly unique to Meta although its unusual for companies to publish a total of how many were fired in a given period for this.

 

[ZedRM]

Strange headline. It makes it sound like 20 innocent employees randomly lost their job because Meta has a "leak problem", vs. the much more straightforward "Large company fires 20 employees who improperly disclosed confidential data". The latter is hardly unique to Meta although its unusual for companies to publish a total of how many were fired in a given period for this.

Well said!

 

[dirtyferret]

You can call it "forcing", but its legal standing is equality...but once again Trump supporters wouldn't understand the meaning of it.

kind of hard for cultists to understand legal terms when their leader mocks the law and his followers want to burn all the legal books.