Pinterest has found itself at the center of internal controversy following a recent round of job cuts and the termination of several engineers who reacted to the layoffs in an unconventional way.
Last week, the social media company laid off nearly 15% of its workforce as part of a broader restructuring plan aimed at redirecting resources toward artificial intelligence initiatives. In the aftermath of the announcement, a small group of engineers built internal software designed to identify which coworkers had been affected by the layoffs.
Pinterest CEO Bill Ready responded by firing those engineers as well, labeling their actions as “obstructionist.” According to audio from a company-wide meeting obtained by CNBC, Ready told employees that Pinterest is at a “critical moment” and emphasized that staff members who fundamentally disagree with the company’s direction should consider seeking opportunities elsewhere. He stressed that while debate is welcome, there is a firm boundary between constructive discussion and conduct that disrupts leadership decisions.
A Pinterest spokesperson supported the decision, stating that the engineers had “improperly accessed confidential company information” and violated internal privacy and data-use policies.
However, the situation is disputed by several current Pinterest employees. They argue that the engineers did not hack or access restricted systems, but instead shared instructions on how to use prompts within the company’s existing employee directory to reveal who had been laid off. According to these employees, the directory and its functionality were already accessible to anyone inside the organization.
The incident has sparked broader conversations within the company about transparency, internal communication, and how leadership handles employee dissent during periods of significant change.
