Meta worker rips company’s ‘toxic’ ban on controversial topics after probe over anti-Israel letter
A Meta employee took to social media to bash a “toxic” company policy that bars staffers from discussing controversial topics in the workplace — after accusing the tech behemoth of censoring her anti-Israel note to leadership.
The worker, who goes only by Saima on her social media accounts, has worked as a data scientist for Meta in New York since 2021, per her LinkedIn account.
Earlier this week, she shared a text-only Instagram post that read: “external censorship on Meta platforms starts with internal censorship of Meta employees.”
Saima used the caption to expose an internal rule at Meta dubbed CEE — Community Engagement Expectations — that limits staff from discussing certain topics at work, Business Insider earlier reported.
CEE was introduced when Meta switched up its policies on internal communications in late 2022.
Per a memo circulated by Meta’s head of people Lori Goler at the time, CEE was put into place “to ensure that internal discussions remain respectful, productive, and allow us to focus. This comes with the trade-off that we’ll no longer allow for every type of expression at work, but we think this is the right thing to do for the long-term health of our internal community.”
“The issues that can no longer be discussed include health matters such as vaccine efficacy and abortion, legal matters such as pending legislation, political matters such as elections or political movements, and weapon ownership and rights,” Goler wrote, according to screenshots of the note obtained by Fortune.
Saima, meanwhile, has openly advocated for Palestine amid its escalating conflict with Israel in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7 ambush attack, when the terrorist group killed more than 1,160 Israelis and took hundreds of others hostage.
Samia said she was placed “under investigation” late last year “after being kicked out of all internal systems, for circulating a signature-collecting letter to Meta leadership expressing our collective concerns around external and internal bias and censorship due to the Israel-Gaza conflict.”
Meta’s human resources department then reached out to Saima in mid-February, informing her that they “concluded” the investigation, per her Instagram post.
Her system access was reinstated on March 14 and she returned to work this past Monday, she wrote, adding that HR has now informed her that she was probed for “repeatedly violating the CEE.”
“They were investigating ‘concerns about the alleged inappropriate use of our systems to disseminate the open letter,'” which had received nearly 500 signatures and roughly 100 personal testimonials from employees before Meta leadership deleted the original document, as well as copies of it, Saima said.
“@Meta, please stop internally censoring employees and get rid of the toxic CEE.”
The Post has sought comment from Saima and Meta.
In December, Black Lives Matter activist Shaun King shared that his Instagram account was deactivated after he claimed that he aided in the release of two US citizens that were kidnapped by Hamas and has accused Israel of genocide.
King, who had 6 million followers on the Meta-owned site before his account was yanked, posted a video message through a friend’s Instagram account announcing that his Instagram had been blocked.
