The board of directors of iPhone maker Apple has recommended shareholders vote against a proposal to end the company's diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, going in the opposite direction of other prominent U.S. corporations that decided to scale back these initiatives before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump returns to White House.
The National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR), a conservative think tank, proposed Apple shareholders consider ending the firm's DEI program to prevent lawsuits following a 2023 Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action in universities.
However, the Apple board has recommended voting against the proposal when it meets late this month.
"The proposal is unnecessary as Apple already has a well-established compliance program," said the board, which includes Tim Cook, the California-based company's boss.
"The proposal also inappropriately attempts to restrict Apple's ability to manage its own ordinary business operations, people and teams, and business strategies," it said, accusing the think-tank of trying to "micromanage" the company.
The board said the iPhone maker "is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in recruiting, hiring, training or promoting on any basis protected by law."
The proposal will be put to a shareholder vote at Apple's annual general meeting on Feb. 25.
Following in the footsteps of McDonald's, Ford, Walmart and a host of others, Meta became the latest U.S. firm to end its DEI programs.
The Friday announcement by Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, comes amid what it described as "a changing legal and policy landscape."
Trump, who takes office next week, has been a harsh critic of Meta and its owner, Mark Zuckerberg, for years, accusing the company of bias against him and threatening to retaliate against the tech billionaire once back in office.
Zuckerberg has been moving aggressively to reconcile with Trump since his election in November, including donating $1 million to his inauguration fund and hiring a Republican as his public affairs chief.
Republicans are also fiercely against DEI programs in corporate America, many of which were established in the aftermath of the Black Lives Matter movement and the nation's attempt to reckon with longstanding racial disparities.
On the other hand, Amazon.com is also "winding down outdated programs and materials" related to representation and inclusion, aiming to complete the process by the end of 2024, as stated in a December memo to employees seen by Reuters on Friday.
