when employees join meta, we inform them—along with periodic reminders—that leaking internal information, regardless of intent, violates company policies," meta spokesperson dave arnold told the verge. "following a recent investigation, around 20 employees were terminated for sharing confidential data externally, and we anticipate further actions as needed. we take this matter seriously and will continue addressing leaks proactively."
the company has intensified its crackdown on leaks, particularly following a surge in reports about unannounced product developments and internal meetings, including a recent all-hands discussion led by ceo mark zuckerberg. after media coverage of zuckerberg’s remarks, employees were warned against leaking information. in a subsequent internal meeting—details of which were also leaked—cto andrew bosworth stated that meta was "making progress on catching people" responsible for leaks.
meta’s internal morale has been impacted by recent company decisions, including changes to content moderation policies, the termination of dei initiatives, and layoffs targeting so-called “low performers.” however, thursday’s announcement regarding employee terminations did not specify what information was leaked, who was involved, or where the leaks were directed.
“there’s an interesting dynamic with these leaks,” bosworth commented in an internal meeting in early february. “some may believe that leaking will pressure us to change course. in reality, the opposite is more likely.