Apple board pushes against diversity rollback call

Apple's board of directors has urged investors to vote against a proposal aimed at ending its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. This move stems from a previous call by the conservative organization, the National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR), for the tech giant to abolish its DEI policies, claiming they expose the company to "litigation, reputational, and financial risks."

Apple's board stated that NCPPR's proposal is unnecessary because the company already has appropriate checks and balances in place. Furthermore, the board believes the proposal "attempts to improperly micromanage the company's programs and policies by proposing specific legal compliance approaches."

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, with Trump being a vocal critic of DEI policies. Apple stated in a filing to investors that, "The proposal is unnecessary because Apple already has a robust compliance program in place."

NCPPR's proposal will be put to a shareholder vote at Apple's annual shareholder meeting on February 25. Conservative groups have threatened legal action against major companies regarding their DEI programs, claiming these policies contradict the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling against affirmative action in universities.

Last week, Facebook owner Meta became the latest US company to scale back its DEI programs, joining a growing list of major companies including Amazon, Walmart, and McDonald's. Meta explained the decision in a memo to employees, stating that "the legal and policy environment is changing" and citing the Supreme Court's affirmative action ruling. Meta's decision impacts hiring, vendors, and training efforts.

Since the November election, Meta's boss Mark Zuckerberg has been making efforts to reconcile with Trump. The company has donated $1 million to the President-elect's inauguration 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 making such moves.