FWIW I had a friend apply to a 'remote' position here and they turned him down because that team decided they didn't want to have remote employees after all. Be wary of the remote tag on this post.
I'm sorry about your friend's experience. As a fully remote employee, I can assure folks that "remoteness" has become a much bigger part of our culture. We try very hard to make sure that remote folks are comfortable and kept in the loop. I'm not sure what team he/she applied for, but I would encourage them to give us another look!