Apple defeats shareholder effort to end DEI programmes
Apple has fended off a proposal asking the tech giant to consider ending its diversity practices, such as the use of race and sex in hiring decisions.
Apple said a majority of shareholders had rejected the measure, which the company had argued was “inappropriately” trying “to micromanage” its programmes and policies.
It marks a second high-profile defeat of a shareholder proposal targeting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies at a major US company in recent weeks, after retailer Costco successfully beat back a similar push.
The votes come despite fierce criticism of DEI from US President Donald Trump, who has pushed to end such programmes throughout the federal government.
Trump’s orders have run into legal roadblocks, even as many companies in the US, including big names such as Meta, Amazon and Goldman Sachs, have already ended or rolled back their own policies, citing legal risks.
The proposal at Apple was backed by National Center for Public Policy Research, a conservative think tank that was behind the proposal at Costco and has previously tangled with Apple over its green energy policies.
The organisation argued that the existence of Apple’s diversity and inclusion programmes exposed Apple to “litigation, reputational and financial risks”, noting that recent lawsuits have made it easier for workers to sue over discrimination.
“If even only a fraction of employees file suit, and only some of those prove successful, the cost to Apple could reach tens of billions of dollars,” it said.
Stefan Padfield of the Free Enterprise Project, who presented the proposal at Tuesday’s meeting, said the risks to the company had also increased after the Trump administration recently ordered staff to investigate DEI in the private sector.
“The vibe shift is clear,” he said. “DEI is out and merit is in.”
Shareholders also rejected proposals that would have required Apple to report about its AI privacy practices, charitable giving and policies to combat child sex abuse.
