Stanisland Magazine

The Facebook boss faces more backlash as a prominent lawyer resigns from a position at Meta.

Mark Lemley, a leading lawyer and intellectual for Meta has announced he is to part ways with the company. Citing dangerous views and a shift to the right, the law professional says the conglomerate has sought to appease a certain audience.

Mark Zuckerberg, the company’s CEO has recently held meetings with Donald Trump following his accession to the White House, with the billionaire hoping to repair his relationship with the right-wing politician following past comments about the President-elect.

Trump’s victory in last year’s election saw business leaders race to court the newly anointed leader in attempts to sway his decision to award them business and, perhaps, legal frameworks to weaken employment laws. The Artificial Intelligence (AI) boom is likely why CEOs and others wish to become closer with the former TV show host.

Termination of Diversity and Fact-Checking Programmes

In a series of programme cancellations that angered social media users and company stakeholders, Meta terminated its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programmes, citing changes in laws and what it believes is a blueprint that favours certain groups over others. This is despite research that shows white men and women are favoured more than BAME groups, with Black workers earning 24.4% less than white workers. This pay gap is now wider than when it was last measured in 1979.

Zuckerberg recently made a controversial move by removing his company’s fact-checking programme, which uses independent researchers and journalists to verify information posted to social media platforms. This roadmap change correlates with the election of Donald Trump and the president-elect’s viewpoints, which many conclude is a result of the soon-to-be leader’s political outlook. This includes a former employee of Meta.

Meta Lawyer Resigns

Intellectual property attorney and Stanford Law School professor, Mark Lemley, who represents Meta and Zuckerberg, recently announced his resignation from the company. He is well-respected within the industry, having authored multiple books and assisted in hearings for the Supreme Court. The lawyer says he cannot continue his work at the company, saying his “descent into toxic masculinity and Neo-Nazi madness” is the primary reason for leaving Meta. Lemley’s claims regarding Zuckerberg’s views have not been corroborated.

His main concern has been the dissolution of the DEI programmes, fact-checking system, and what he sees as Zuckerberg’s move towards “masculine energy.” Meta continues to be represented by other law firms, including Cooley LLP and Cleary Gottlieb Steen and Hamilton.

Reaction

The long time Facebook owner has espoused controversial views and many warn they could leave his platforms, as many did with Twitter, now X. Alternatives are not in short supply, especially as new and existing networks exist like Blue Sky, and Mastodon.

Users on popular social networking sites Threads and Instagram chimed in with their own explanation of what the tech boss really means, with one saying: “When Mark Zuckerberg bemoans the loss of “masculine energy” in business and calls for a return to more aggression to offset what he calls a culture of neutered corporate interests, what he’s really saying is that things worked better when only white men were in charge.”

Others lamented that Zuckerberg is in charge, voicing concerns about his ideas: “Hey yall. “Deleting my profile here. May take longer to ween off facebook and ig. But I barely use this anyway and leg-humping toad Mark Zuckerberg is now the Reek of fascism so if nothing else”

The so-called movement of masculine ideas and tropes has gained a huge following in the past few years, largely due to social media influencers like Andrew Tate and Elon Musk.