• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Bars, bowling alleys, and movie theaters cost too much to run and visit. Americans have run out of places to hang out and we're paying with our health

2

As Trump balks again at escalating war, Iran smells ‘blood in the water’ and looks to exploit its newfound strategic advantage, experts say

3

The labor market could become so backward that the economy will have to shed jobs to keep unemployment steady

1

Bars, bowling alleys, and movie theaters cost too much to run and visit. Americans have run out of places to hang out and we're paying with our health

2

As Trump balks again at escalating war, Iran smells ‘blood in the water’ and looks to exploit its newfound strategic advantage, experts say

3

The labor market could become so backward that the economy will have to shed jobs to keep unemployment steady
TechSocial Media

Meta axes team responsible for considering the downside to its own products—just a year after company’s vice president talked it up

By
Chloe Taylor
Chloe Taylor
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Chloe Taylor
Chloe Taylor
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 9, 2022, 7:28 AM ET
Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook and led by Mark Zuckerberg, has cut its team in charge of identifying and addressing ethical problems with the company’s products.
Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook and led by Mark Zuckerberg, has cut its team in charge of identifying and addressing ethical problems with the company’s products. Alex Wong—Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Meta and its cofounder Mark Zuckerberg have had a rough year.

Faced with a slumping share price and shrinking profits, the tech giant has begun to cut costs—a move that has resulted in the termination of a group that policed ethical problems relating to the company’s social media platforms.

The Wall Street Journal reported this week that Meta had disbanded its Responsible Innovation (RI) team, a group tasked with addressing potential ethical concerns about its products, which include Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

During its tenure as a public company, Meta—formerly known as Facebook—has been plagued with ethical blunders, from damning exposés on its handling of user data, to reports on its struggle to manage toxic content’s impact on teenagers’ mental health.

A spokesperson for Meta was not available for comment when contacted by Fortune, but the company told the WSJ that it remained committed to the RI team’s objectives.

A Meta representative said that while most of the RI team—which consisted of around two dozen workers including engineers and ethics experts—would be reassigned to other roles, not all of the former members were guaranteed new jobs at Meta.

Last year, Margaret Stewart, a vice president at the company who established the RI team in 2018, said in a blog post titled “Why I’m optimistic about Facebook’s Responsible Innovation efforts” that the group existed to “help teams at Facebook proactively surface and address potential harms to society in all that we build.”

It worked with third-party privacy specialists, users, and academics to identify and handle potential ethical problems with new products and updates to its existing products and social media platforms.

Tightening belts

The cutting of the Responsible Innovation team comes as Meta, like many other tech companies, seeks to rein in costs.

In July, after Meta reported its first revenue decline since going public a decade ago, CEO Zuckerberg said teams in the company’s workforce were “going to shrink” and that he expected the firm would soon have to “get more done with fewer resources.”

Shares of Meta have lost more than 50% of their value since the beginning of the year, amid a broad tech selloff, the company’s disappointing earnings, and skepticism over its $10 billion investment in the metaverse.

Sign up for the Fortune Features email list so you don’t miss our biggest features, exclusive interviews, and investigations.

About the Author
By Chloe Taylor
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Tech

A physical Bitcoin coin held between an index finger and a thumb.
CryptoBitcoin
Bitcoin owners rocked by $116 million hack: What we know about the Coldcard exploit
By Camila Grigera NaónAugust 3, 2026
4 hours ago
broker
InvestingMarkets
Wall Street bulls are starting to admit the earnings bubble is real—and the 60/40 portfolio may be the first casualty
By Nick LichtenbergAugust 3, 2026
5 hours ago
Photo of Sam Altman
SuccessWealth
Sam Altman reveals the investing advice billionaire Peter Thiel gave him that helped him amass a $3.3 billion net worth without OpenAI equity
By Preston ForeAugust 3, 2026
6 hours ago
Photo of the ElliQ device in a living room
AITech
Forget Gen Z: People in their 70s and 80s are some of the earliest Americans to welcome physical AI into their homes and daily routines
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezAugust 3, 2026
6 hours ago
Fortune Daily video show graphic showing host Ellie Austin
C-SuiteFortune Daily
Welcome to Fortune Daily
By Ellie AustinAugust 3, 2026
7 hours ago
congress
Commentaryregulation
Congress needs an AI framework now
By Caleb KnappAugust 3, 2026
7 hours ago

Most Popular

Bars, bowling alleys, and movie theaters cost too much to run and visit. Americans have run out of places to hang out and we're paying with our health
North America
Bars, bowling alleys, and movie theaters cost too much to run and visit. Americans have run out of places to hang out and we're paying with our health
By Catherina GioinoAugust 2, 2026
1 day ago
As Trump balks again at escalating war, Iran smells ‘blood in the water’ and looks to exploit its newfound strategic advantage, experts say
Middle East
As Trump balks again at escalating war, Iran smells ‘blood in the water’ and looks to exploit its newfound strategic advantage, experts say
By Jason MaAugust 2, 2026
1 day ago
The labor market could become so backward that the economy will have to shed jobs to keep unemployment steady
Economy
The labor market could become so backward that the economy will have to shed jobs to keep unemployment steady
By Jason MaAugust 1, 2026
2 days ago
Trump just invoked a 1930 tariff law no president has ever used — against Canada
Commentary
Trump just invoked a 1930 tariff law no president has ever used — against Canada
By Caleb PetittAugust 2, 2026
1 day ago
The average worker would need to save for 52 years to claw their way out of the middle class and be classified as wealthy, research reveals
Success
The average worker would need to save for 52 years to claw their way out of the middle class and be classified as wealthy, research reveals
By Orianna Rosa RoyleAugust 2, 2026
1 day ago
He was homeless at 16. Now he sits on the board of David Beckham's wellness company and his business is about to hit $1 billion in revenue
Success
He was homeless at 16. Now he sits on the board of David Beckham's wellness company and his business is about to hit $1 billion in revenue
By Emma BurleighAugust 2, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.