Why Meta had to 'bend the knee to Trump' ahead of his inauguration

Meta's Strategic Shift Towards Trump and Republicans - Meta is pivoting its moderation policies to allow more "free expression," widely viewed as an effort to appease President-elect Donald Trump [1] - Meta has taken numerous public steps to make amends with Trump since his election victory, including donating $1 million to his inaugural fund [5] - Meta is replacing key executives with individuals who have strong ties to the Republican Party, such as Joel Kaplan, who was a White House deputy chief of staff under George W Bush [10] Content Moderation and Policy Changes - Meta will end third-party fact-checking, remove restrictions on topics like immigration and gender identity, and bring political content back to users' feeds [9] - The company is shutting down several internal programs related to diversity and inclusion in its hiring process, seen as another Trump-friendly move [5] - Meta's new content-moderation guidelines will allow offensive rhetoric, including statements like "Migrants are no better than vomit" [26] AI and Regulatory Environment - Meta is positioning itself as a key player in artificial intelligence and recognizes the need for White House support to build data centers and pursue policies that align with its AI ambitions [2] - The company hopes for more relaxed AI regulations in the US compared to the EU, where harsh restrictions have prevented the release of advanced AI technologies [7] - Meta needs massive data centers and cutting-edge computer chips to train and run its advanced AI models [7] Internal and External Reactions - Meta's policy changes have faced backlash from employees, with some criticizing the company for absolving itself of its responsibility to create a safe platform [18] - Former Facebook vice president Brian Boland described Meta's actions as "deeply ironic," especially after his post criticizing the company was taken down by Meta's content moderation system [23][24] - Meta's civic integrity and trust and safety teams were significantly affected by layoffs, reducing internal friction for Zuckerberg when making broad policy changes [11] Historical Context and Future Outlook - Meta typically undergoes major "recalibrations" after prominent US elections, adjusting its policies based on the political landscape [12] - Following the 2020 election, Meta took a harder stand on Covid-19 content, which appeased the Biden administration but drew criticism from Republicans [13] - Zuckerberg has been dragged to Washington eight times to testify before congressional committees and wants to be perceived as someone who can work with Trump and the Republican Party [26] Security and Threats - Meta spends $14 million annually on providing personal security for Zuckerberg and his family, with security teams analyzing any threats or perceived threats against the CEO [16] - Meta's security teams have analyzed how Trump could weaponize the Justice Department and intelligence agencies against Zuckerberg [20]