--- title: "Totalitarian Zuckerberg Bans Employees From Discussing Guns, Vaccines, Abortion" description: "Don't Ask, Don't Tell Meta-formerly-known-as-Facebook — a company that, on its website, says that part of its mission is rooted in the idea that \"people deserve to be heard and to have a voice, even when that means defending the right of people we disagree with\" — has banned its own employees from talking about […]" date: "2022-12-09" modified: "2022-12-09" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/zuckerberg-bans-employees-discussing-guns-vaccines-abortion" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "facebook" - "mark zuckerberg" - "Meta" - "the digest" --- # Totalitarian Zuckerberg Bans Employees From Discussing Guns, Vaccines, Abortion ![Meta-formerly-known-as-Facebook has reportedly banned its own employees from talking about divisive topics — including gun rights and abortion — at work.]() *\Image: Getty Images/Futurism\* ## Don't Ask, Don't Tell Meta-formerly-Facebook has reportedly banned its own employees from talking about divisive topics at work, according to internal Meta communication [reviewed by *Fortune*](). Such topics include gun rights, vaccines, and abortion — you know, the small stuff. And that's pretty counterintuitive to say the least, given the fact that Meta claims its mission is rooted in the idea that "people deserve to be heard and to have a voice, even when that means defending the right of people we disagree with" [on its website](). ## Trade-Offs Internally, the move is seen as a way to allow for employees to keep focused on their work. "As \[Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg\] mentioned recently, we need to make a number of cultural shifts to help us deliver against our priorities," Lori Goler, the head of people at Meta, reportedly wrote in a company forum, as quoted by *Fortune*. "We're doing this 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," she continued, "but we think this is the right thing to do for the long-term health of our internal community." ## Terrible Look Importantly, Meta is also applying these "cultural shifts" externally as well, which means the company will abstain from discussing these topics with the public going forward. "We are often asked to sign on to advocacy letters on topics that are important, but not directly connected to our work," Goler added, according to *Fortune*. "This can distract us from focusing on issues that are not central to our mission." "So going forward, as a company we will only make public statements on issues that are core to our business, meaning they are required in order to provide our service," she added. It's wildly ironic, of course, that a company, which claims to ensure that its users "have a voice," has effectively muzzled tens of thousands of [its remaining]() employees. It's also a troubling new development, given the fact that Facebook has [played a central role]() in the fabric of American democracy. And while *Fortune* did note that the new restrictions won't apply to those who work "directly" with the outlawed topics, this new policy doesn't just appear tone-deaf, it feels counterproductive as well. **READ MORE:** *[Meta bans staff from discussing 'very disruptive' topics including abortion, gun rights, and vaccines in new 'community engagement expectations']()* \[*Fortune*\] **More on Meta:** *[Mark Zuckerberg Tries to Explain Why the Metaverse Is Great, Gets Attack of the Hiccups Instead]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()