Apple’s annual shareholders meeting voted on Tuesday to keep the company’s diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, a decision that comes as some major US companies have faced backlash against such initiatives following President Donald Trump’s return to office.
A proposal submitted by the National Center for Public Policy Research, which aimed to scrap Apple’s DEI efforts, was defeated with 210.45 million votes against it and 8.84 billion votes in favor. The company had argued that its oversight effort would avoid legal risks, while proponents of the proposal claimed recent legal changes would lead to an increase in discrimination cases.
Apple CEO Tim Cook stated that the company’s success stems from a “culture of collaboration,” where people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives come together to innovate. However, he also acknowledged that as the legal landscape around these issues evolves, the company may need to make changes to comply.
The decision is seen as a test of shareholder views on the value of DEI programs, which many companies added or strengthened in 2020 amid the Black Lives Matter movement. Apple’s efforts include providing support to historically black colleges and universities, teaching coding skills to indigenous populations in Mexico, and working with an Aboriginal community-led nonprofit pursuing criminal justice reform in Australia.
The outcome is a win for management, which had opposed the proposal. The company will continue to disclose diversity data about its employee base, but does not set targets or quotas.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/technology/apple-investors-reject-proposal-against-dei-policies-2025-02-25