Apple shareholders have made a different decision as major companies have reduced or abolished the “DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) Program” since the inauguration of the Donald Trump administration in the United States. At Apple’s annual shareholders’ meeting held on Feb. 25, a vote was held to abolish the “DEI Program” proposed by the conservative group National Public Policy Research Center (NCPPR), but it was finally rejected. The DEI program encourages diversity, including gender and race, in Apple’s policies, including hiring.
Stephen Padfield, director of NCPPR, said at the shareholders’ meeting that the DEI program was “divisive and value-destructive” and that “in light of President Trump’s recent executive order to eradicate illegal discrimination through DEI, Apple’s risks are growing.”
Apple’s management has already expressed its opposition to the shareholder proposal. Apple said in a disclosure on its shareholders’ meeting released on January 12, “The proposal is an inappropriate attempt to manage Apple’s business operations in excessive detail,” adding, “Apple is already running a systematic compliance program.”
Apple CEO Tim Cook also stressed at the shareholders’ meeting that “Our strength is to always hire the best talent, to innovate by gathering people from various backgrounds and perspectives, and to provide a culture of cooperation that creates something magical for users.” He also reiterated that “we will maintain an inclusive culture and protect our own core values.”
However, after the rejection of the shareholder proposal, CEO Cook said, “The legal environment may force Apple to change,” leaving open the possibility of changes in the DEI program in the future. Apple is currently operating various DEI programs, including internal support groups, functions for the disabled, and research to prevent racial bias in the company’s products and services.
Apple’s move is in contrast to major U.S. companies, including Big Tech, which have been retreating from the DEI program since the inauguration of the Trump administration.
Google has decided to scrap its previous goal of “expanding the minority race ratio to 30% by 2025,” and Meta, the operator of Facebook and Instagram, has also disbanded its internal organization that oversees DEI programs. Amazon deleted the phrase “DEI helps businesses” from its website in December last year.
Meanwhile, CEO Cook mentioned the $500 billion investment plan that President Trump praised the day before at the shareholders’ meeting. “The United States is our hometown, and we are deeply committed to the future of the United States,” he stressed.
JENNIFER KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
