By Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Apple to scrap its diversity, equity and inclusion policies, a day after the iPhone maker’s shareholders voted overwhelmingly to keep them in the face of growing pushback from conservative groups.
Big U.S. companies, including Meta and Alphabet have dropped DEI initiatives as Trump’s returned to the presidency.
He has called them discriminatory and suggested the Department of Justice could investigate if such efforts violate the law.
Trump issued an executive order in January to end DEI initiatives in the federal government and private sector, saying such efforts discriminates against other Americans, including white people and men and weakens the importance of merit in job hiring or promotion.
Apple has said it had an active oversight effort to avoid legal risks and that the proposal inappropriately restricted management.
The company reports workforce diversity data but sets no targets or quotas, focusing its DEI efforts on programs such as a racial justice initiative that supports historically Black colleges and universities in the U.S.
Trump issued an executive order in January to end DEI initiatives in the federal government and private sector, saying such efforts discriminates against other Americans, including white people and men and weakens the importance of merit in job hiring or promotion.
Apple has said it had an active oversight effort to avoid legal risks and that the proposal inappropriately restricted management.
The company reports workforce diversity data but sets no targets or quotas, focusing its DEI efforts on programs such as a racial justice initiative that supports historically Black colleges and universities in the U.S.
Apple’s “strength has always come from hiring the very best people and then providing a culture of collaboration, one where people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives come together to innovate”, CEO Tim Cook said at Tuesday’s meeting.
But he also signaled the company may make some adjustments in response to new developments.
“As the legal landscape around these issues evolves, we may need to make some changes to comply, but our North Star of dignity and respect for everyone and our work to that end will never waver,” Cook said.
Reuters
