US President Donald Trump has outlawed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs for government contractors

27 FEB 2025 CET RT: FILE PHOTO. ©  Christoph Dernbach / picture alliance via Getty Images

Apple shareholders rejected a proposal to revoke the company’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies during an investor meeting on Tuesday, the AP has reported. The move comes despite Washington’s recent steps towards dismantling DEI programs at corporate and government levels.

The vote taken at the company’s annual meeting came in response to a proposal submitted by the National Center for Public Policy Research, a conservative US think tank, which urged the tech giant to terminate its DEI programs, citing potential legal, reputational, and financial risks.

While DEI policies adopted by companies reportedly seek to diversify the workforce by promoting the fair treatment and full participation of all people, the program has been criticized for preferential treatment of some groups over others and for not being based on merit.

Commenting on the results of the vote, Apple CEO Tim Cook acknowledged that the company may have to alter some of its diversity practices due to the changing legal landscape in the country.

“We’ll continue to work together to create a culture of belonging where everyone can do their best work,” the top executive told shareholders, as cited by the news agency. Cook added that the company would remain “committed to the values that have always made us who we are.”

Last month, shareholders of major US discount retailer Costco also rejected the same think tank’s proposal to evaluate risks posed by pursuing DEI practices.

Shortly after assuming office on January 20, US President Donald Trump fulfilled his election campaign pledge to outlaw DEI initiatives in federal workplaces and educational institutions. The president signed two executive orders reversing protections for transgender rights and DEI programs, established by his predecessor, Joe Biden.

Trump’s orders have met some legal roadblocks. Last week, a federal judge in Maryland temporarily blocked the government from implementing bans on DEI programs at federal agencies and businesses that contract with the federal government. Earlier this month, the National Urban League, National Fair Housing Alliance, and the AIDS Foundation of Chicago filed a lawsuit against Trump and 26 other defendants, saying that the orders had jeopardized their federal funding.

However, the major shift in federal policies has led US corporate majors, including Meta, Alphabet, Amazon, McDonald’s, Ford, Walmart and Goldman Sachs, to abandon or roll back their DEI programs.