At annual shareholders’ meeting, Apple CEO Tim Cook was questioned about privacy, politics, and new products

“Should Apple have more ‘ideological diversity’ on its board? That was the question facing CEO Tim Cook, along with Apple’s board and investors, at the company’s annual shareholder meeting Friday, when activist Justin Danhof pushed a proposal aimed at increasing such diversity on the company’s board of directors. ‘Diversity is not what someone looks like, it’s the sum of what they think,’ Danhof said while speaking at the meeting,” Ian Sherr reports for CNET.
“‘True diversity comes from diversity of thought. There is ample evidence that the Company — and Silicon Valley generally — operate in ideological hegemony that eschews conservative people, thoughts, and values,’ the center wrote in its proposal to shareholders. ‘This ideological echo chamber can result in groupthink that is the antithesis of diversity. This can be a major risk factor for shareholders,'” Sherr reports. “‘We are open to people from all walks of life,’ Cook said, noting that this includes political points of view, religious beliefs or sexual orientation. He also encouraged anyone with concerns to ‘say something.’ ‘We live in a very polarized world today,’ Cook added, saying he doesn’t believe it needs to be and that he doesn’t ‘check people at the door’ about their beliefs. He also noted that though Apple is pro-immigration, pro-environment and pro-privacy, he doesn’t see that as politics. ‘For us, we focus on policy things.'”
“During the debate, Another shareholder raised concerns that after the 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, VA., Apple donated $1 million to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which the shareholder called a hate group,” Sherr reports. “Concerns about conservative views were just some of the several topics Cook discussed with shareholders in attendance at the company’s Steve Jobs Theater.”
As for products, “shareholders didn’t get a clear answer as to where Apple is headed at the shareholder meeting, though they rarely do,” Sherr reports. “They did however approve all the company’s board members for another term.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: No, Apple didn’t give sneak peeks of Project Titan, the next-gen modular Mac Pro, or Apple Glasses at the annual meeting of shareholders, but, still, a fun time was had by all!
Some people have said that I shouldn’t get involved politically because probably half our customers are Republicans… so I’m going to just stay away from all that political stuff. — Apple CEO Steve Jobs, August 25, 2004
SEE ALSO:
Harris Poll: Corporate reputations can become politically polarized – February 9, 2017
Apple, J.P. Morgan under fire for donations to notorious Southern Poverty Law Center – August 28, 2017
Silicon Valley donated 60 times more to Clinton than to Trump – November 7, 2016
99% of Silicon Valley’s political dollars are going to Hillary Clinton – October 25, 2016
Apple’s politics may be hurting its brand – June 29, 2016
Apple refuses to aid 2016 GOP presidential convention over Trump comments – June 18, 2016
Apple and Silicon Valley employees love Bernie Sanders. Donald Trump? Not so much – May 6, 2016
Apple among top employers of Bernie Sanders donors – April 20, 2016
Apple employees donate $15 to Obama for every $1 to Romney – July 27, 2012
Apple, other tech firm employees’ contributions favor Democrats over Republicans, Obama over Clinton – April 14, 2008
Apple CEO Steve Jobs: ‘I’m going to just stay away from all that political stuff’ – August 25, 2004