Apple Inc. loses case brought by American Family Association

The Christian organization American Family Association, has been handed a victory against Apple Inc.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued ruled in favor of AFA and activist groups regarding the tech firm’s attempt to exclude a shareholder discussion from its annual shareholder meeting.

Apple wanted to prevent discussion of controversial diversity, equity and inclusion policies that some shareholders said were hurting the company’s bottom line.

The motion sought to to hold the company accountable for its policies and practices that imperil free speech. After Apple’s less-than-stellar report on the 2023 Viewpoint Diversity Score Business Index, AFA submitted a proposal calling on Apple to conduct an investigation and issue a report to shareholders. Rather than allowing its shareholders to vote on the proposal at the 2024 annual meeting, Apple asked permission from the SEC to exclude it from the proxy ballot. A letter from Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) attorneys encouraged the SEC to allow the vote on the important topic, and thankfully the SEC agreed.

“Thank God that free speech is still valued in some form in this nation,” said AFA President Tim Wildmon. “Even as corporate giants attempt to suppress voices that don’t align with their own views, right will always win out. What does Apple hope to hide by attempting to silence our valid concerns and stopping the vote? The purpose of Apple’s long-held policy against ‘offensive, insensitive and upsetting’ language is to censor biblical views on marriage and sexuality. Apple would rather bow down to the laws of the liberal mob than the laws of God.”

In a resource titled, Our Commitment to Human Rights, Apple claims to “believe in the critical importance of an open society in which information flows freely.” Unfortunately, that commitment is severely undermined by the corporation’s policies, according to AFA.

“Major corporations like Apple shouldn’t be hiding from shareholders who are concerned about the company’s impact on free speech, and the SEC’s decision is a much-needed step toward transparency,” said ADF Senior Counsel and Senior Vice President for Corporate Engagement Jeremy Tedesco. “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.”

–Dwight Widaman | MV