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Apple’s board has called on investors to vote against a proposal to end its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programmes. This comes after a conservative group, the National Center for Public Policy Research, called on the technology giant to abolish its DEI policies, saying they expose firms to “litigation, reputational and financial risks”. Apple’s directors say the proposal was unnecessary because the company has appropriate checks and balances in place. The proposal is set to be put to a vote by shareholders at Apple’s annual general meeting on 25 February. Other major US firms, including Meta and Amazon, have rolled back DEI programmes ahead of Donald Trump’s return to the White House. The firm’s filing to investors said the proposal is unnecessary as Apple already has a well-established compliance program. The board also said the DEI rollback plan “inappropriately seeks to micromanage the Company’s programs and policies by suggesting a specific means of legal compliance”. Conservative groups have threatened to take legal action against major companies over their DEI programmes, saying such policies are at odds with a Supreme Court decision in 2023 against affirmative action at universities. Last week, Facebook owner Meta became the latest US company to roll back its DEI initiatives, joining a growing list of major firms that includes Amazon, Walmart and McDonald’s.
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