Mark Zuckerberg removed tampons from men's restrooms. Meta employees put them back.

Changing the system from the inside? IDK!
 By 
Christianna Silva
 on 
Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer of Meta Platforms Inc., during the Meta Connect event in Menlo Park, California, US, on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. Meta Platforms Inc. debuted its first pair of augmented reality glasses, devices that show a combined view of the digital and physical worlds, a key step in Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg's goal of one day offering a hands-free alternative to the smartphone.
Ew :) Credit: David Paul Morris / Bloomberg via Getty Images

In an apparent effort to curry favor with then-President-elect Donald Trump, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg ordered the removal of tampons from all men's bathrooms in company offices. This decision wasn’t about cost-cutting or efficiency — it took effort, served no practical purpose, and sent a clear message about the company’s shifting priorities.

Since Trump’s victory, Zuckerberg has overseen a series of policy changes at Meta that critics warn could foster hate speech, misinformation, and harassment on its platforms. Under his leadership, the company has eliminated fact-checkers for Community Notes, lifted prohibitions on certain forms of hate speech, scrapped DEI initiatives, and removed trans-inclusive features from its apps, all while reinstating political content recommendations that could amplify extremist views. These moves align with broader conservative criticisms of social media companies, which Trump and his allies have long accused of being biased against the right.

In response to these changes, some progressive Meta employees appear to be pushing back in small but symbolic ways.

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After tampons, liners, and pads were removed from men’s bathrooms earlier this month, they mysteriously reappeared — not through company policy, but through the quiet defiance of workers who brought in their own supplies. According to five anonymous sources cited by The New York Times, employees also circulated a petition calling for Meta to reinstate the amenities.

Meta, however, stood firm on its stance. The company reportedly responded it had "not been the intention of Meta leadership to make employees feel unwelcome or excluded in our offices, [but] at this point, we do not have plans to revisit our on-site amenities offerings." Don't worry, though — the feedback was shared with leadership.

It raises the infamous Linkin Park query: Can you really "take it down from the inside"?

Topics Facebook Meta

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Christianna Silva
Senior Culture Reporter

Christianna Silva is a senior culture reporter covering social platforms and the creator economy, with a focus on the intersection of social media, politics, and the economic systems that govern us. Since joining Mashable in 2021, they have reported extensively on meme creators, content moderation, and the nature of online creation under capitalism.

Before joining Mashable, they worked as an editor at NPR and MTV News, a reporter at Teen Vogue and VICE News, and as a stablehand at a mini-horse farm. You can follow her on Bluesky @christiannaj.bsky.social and Instagram @christianna_j.

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