High-Profile Lawyer Severs Ties with Meta Over Ethical Concerns and Company’s Direction

Stanford, CA – Mark Lemley, a well-known intellectual property attorney and Stanford Law School professor, recently ceased representing Meta, formerly known as Facebook, amid escalating frustrations over the company’s corporate direction and recent policy changes. Lemley, who had been representing Meta in a significant legal battle involving the use of copyrighted texts for training artificial intelligence, expressed his ethical concerns over continuing his association with the tech giant.

This legal case, initiated by a group of authors, could potentially set a new precedent in copyright law as it pertains to AI. Despite Meta’s firm standing in the lawsuit, Lemley publicly criticized the company’s internal culture and policy decisions, which he controversially described as a “descent into toxic masculinity and Neo-Nazi madness” on the social media platform Bluesky.

Lemley’s remarks come at a critical juncture for Meta, as the company reportedly scales down its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. This decision aligns with a broader preparation for the upcoming presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, where Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to play a prominent role, including hosting a reception prior to the inaugural ball.

Furthermore, Lemley mentioned troubling updates to Meta’s content policy which now allows postings that may frame mental illness or abnormalities based on gender or sexual orientation. Lemley voiced his discontent with these changes in both public statements and social media posts, signaling a significant shift in his professional relationship with Meta.

In his critique, Lemley also referenced a statement made by Zuckerberg on the Joe Rogan podcast, where Zuckerberg spoke about corporate culture moving away from “masculine energy.” Lemley sarcastically countered this viewpoint on Bluesky, underscoring a disconnect with the tech giant’s leadership.

Despite his departure from Meta’s legal team, Lemley acknowledged that Meta is still represented by competent legal counsel, suggesting that the company might still succeed in the ongoing lawsuit without his involvement. Lemley himself had been part of the legal team since 2023, bringing his extensive expertise in intellectual property law to the forefront of this high-stakes litigation.

On a more personal note, Lemley contemplated completely disconnecting from Facebook but decided against it due to the platform’s value in maintaining professional and personal connections. Instead, he has opted to limit his interactions by not purchasing items advertised on Facebook or Instagram and deactivating his account on Threads, another social media platform.

Lemley’s departure adds to a growing narrative around Meta’s controversial policies and corporate culture, reflecting broader concerns about the tech industry’s societal impact and internal practices.

Meta has not yet responded to requests for comments.

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