Apple must hold a vote on a shareholder resolution about free speech practices at the technology firm, according to a ruling this week from the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Staff members at the American Family Association, a Christian nonprofit and cultural advocacy group, submitted a shareholder proposal calling for an investigation on the “standards and procedures” used by Apple to curate “content on its various platforms,” asserting that the firm has a duty to protect “freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.” Attorneys for Apple asked permission from the Securities and Exchange Commission to exclude the proposal from the shareholder ballot, a request which the federal agency denied.
Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Jeremy Tedesco, whose legal nonprofit sent a letter on behalf of the American Family Association opposing the move from Apple, said the decision against the company was a “much-needed step toward transparency.”
“Major corporations like Apple shouldn’t be hiding from shareholders who are concerned about the company’s impact on free speech,” Tedesco said. “Apple needs to rebuild trust with its shareholders and customers, but that can’t happen unless it answers basic questions about whether it is treating everyone equally regardless of their political or religious views. Apple also needs to address its policies that threaten the fundamental freedoms of its customers.”
Apple had contended that they have already implemented a similar policy by offering terms of use to consumers and adhering to internal reporting standards on human rights commitments. The letter from the Alliance Defending Freedom countered that the terms of use are “inherently subjective and vague and are exactly what the proposal seeks transparency on.”
Large technology companies have long been criticized by conservatives for promoting leftist ideological content at the expense of traditional values. Apple maintains a low score on the viewpoint diversity index hosted by the Alliance Defending Freedom as a result of intolerance in the workplace, imbalanced public advocacy, and low regard for customer beliefs.
