Apple’s board has urged its investors to oppose a proposal aimed at ending the company’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. The call to end these initiatives comes from the conservative group, the National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR), which argues that DEI policies expose companies to potential legal, reputational, and financial risks.
In response, Apple’s board members have stated that the NCPPR’s proposal is unnecessary, emphasizing that the company already has proper safeguards in place. Other major U.S. companies, such as Meta and Amazon, have scaled back their DEI programs in anticipation of Donald Trump’s return to the White House, as he has been a vocal critic of DEI policies.
Apple’s board has stated that the proposal to end its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs is unnecessary, as the company already has a comprehensive compliance program in place. They also argued that the proposal inappropriately attempts to micromanage the company’s policies by prescribing a specific approach to legal compliance.
The proposal from the National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR) will be voted on by Apple’s shareholders during the company’s annual general meeting on February 25.
Conservative groups have threatened legal action against major companies over their DEI programs, claiming such policies conflict with the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling against affirmative action in universities.
Last week, Meta, the owner of Facebook, became the latest major U.S. company to scale back its DEI initiatives, joining other firms like Amazon, Walmart, and McDonald’s. Meta cited a “shifting legal and policy landscape” in a memo to staff, which impacted its hiring, supplier, and training efforts. The company also referenced the Supreme Court’s decision on affirmative action.
Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, has been working to mend ties with Donald Trump since his election in November. The company has donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund, hired a Republican public affairs chief, and announced the removal of fact-checkers from its social media platforms.
Zuckerberg is not alone in making such moves, as many top executives are responding to growing pressure from conservative groups.