Apple board pushes against diversity rollback call

Apple's board of directors has urged investors to vote against a proposal aimed at terminating its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. The proposal was put forward by the conservative group National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR), which argues that Apple's DEI policies expose the company to "litigation, reputational, and financial risks."

Apple's board stated that NCPPR's proposal is unnecessary, as the company already has appropriate checks and balances in place. In a filing to investors, Apple said, "The proposal is unnecessary because Apple already has robust compliance programs." The board also noted that the DEI rollback plan "inappropriately attempts to micromanage the company's programs and policies by suggesting specific means of legal compliance."

Other major US companies, including Meta and Amazon, have scaled back their DEI programs ahead of Donald Trump's return to the White House this month. Trump has been a vocal critic of DEI policies. Conservative groups have threatened legal action against major companies over their DEI programs, claiming such policies are at odds with the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling against affirmative action in universities.

Last week, Facebook's parent company Meta became the latest US firm to scale back its DEI programs, joining a growing list of major companies including Amazon, Walmart, and McDonald's. In an employee memo regarding the decision, Meta stated that the move affects hiring, suppliers, and training efforts, citing the "evolving legal and policy environment" and the Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling.

Since the November election, Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg has been working to reconcile with Trump. The company has donated $1 million to the president-elect's inaugural fund, hired a Republican as its head of public affairs, and announced it would be removing fact-checkers from Meta's social media platforms. Facing increasing pressure from conservative groups, Zuckerberg is not the only executive taking such actions.