Apple

Apple received a score of 100 on the 2026 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a political stakeholder group. The company recruits employees based on sexual identity issues. The company discriminates against vendors that do not promote divisive sex and gender policies, indicating it prioritizes sexual issues over merit (1)(2)(3). Apple received a score of 100 on the 2025 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a political stakeholder group. The company recruits employees based on sexual identity. The company discriminates against vendors that do not promote divisive sex and gender policies, indicating it prioritizes sexual issues over merit (4)(5). The company removed Parler from its app store for “failing to effectively police content” (6). It did the same for Gab, even though Gab appealed the suspension, pointing out that many other approved social networks contained identical content that Apple did not scrutinize (7). The company has also enabled censorship in other countries, including China and Taiwan (8)(9). The company has also banned Fortnite, Metadata+, Trapster, and many other apps (10). According to various reports, including from the company itself, the company blocks millions of apps each year; some of these banned apps are available on other platforms, such as Google Play (11). Some of these banned apps have accused the company of banning them for political or other reasons (12). After Elon Musk became CEO of Twitter, the company allegedly threatened to pull Twitter from its App Store (13). However, the company’s CEO, Tim Cook, has claimed that the company “never considered removing [the] platform” and attributed the issue to a “misunderstanding” (14). The company fired an employee who objected to its censorship, spurring an ongoing lawsuit over political discrimination (15)(16). In January 2026, 620 articles on Apple News were analyzed, revealing that the company seems to be censoring conservative articles and outlets. “Of the 620 stories, a whopping 440 came from outlets that are rated as left-leaning, while the remaining 180 were published by centrist outlets. Meanwhile, outlets which are considered right-leaning — including The Post — were shut out entirely” (17)(18)(19)(20). The company integrates ESG into its business practices. From its 2025 Annual Progress Report: “Part of this commitment includes decarbonizing our supply chain and transitioning our suppliers to 100 percent renewable electricity” (21). The company promotes divisive sex and gender policies. Its Third Party Code of Conduct requires international vendors to include sexual orientation in their nondiscrimination policy (22). Apple has a history of divisive corporate policies and practices. However, in 2025, the company removed a provision tying executive pay to an “ESG modifier”, which allowed the company to “adjust annual bonuses up or down by as much as 10% depending on the company’s performance on a variety of measures, including greenhouse-gas reductions and renewable energy use among suppliers”, from its 2025 pay packages. To date, the company has not publicly addressed this change, leaving shareholders without clarity regarding the company’s reasoning or future direction (23).

Apple’s HRC 2026 CEI rating indicates the company will not donate to non-religious charities unless they embrace controversial sexual identity policies (1)(2)(3). Apple’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company will not donate to non-religious charities unless they embrace controversial sexual identity policies (4)(5). The company likely uses Benevity as its charitable giving platform. Benevity vets charities according to the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Hate List, which includes mainstream libertarian, conservative, family, and religious advocacy organizations (6)(7)(8).

Apple’s HRC 2026 CEI rating indicates the company forces employees to attend at least one, controversial training on gender identity, sexual orientation, transgender issues, and divisive racial ideology. The company provides gender transition guidelines for its employees and a specific benefits guide with a comprehensive explanation of transgender services funded by the company (1)(2)(3). Apple’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company forces employees to attend multiple, controversial trainings on gender identity, sexual orientation, transgender issues, and divisive racial ideology. The company provides gender transition guidelines for its employees and a specific benefits guide with a comprehensive explanation of transgender services funded by the company (4)(5). The company has implemented DEI requirements into its business practices, including mandatory unconscious bias training (6). The company has resisted shareholder pressure to include viewpoint protections in its nondiscrimination policy (7). The company’s Entrepreneur Camp Program bars applicants based on race, excluding White or Asian applicants (8)(9). In February 2025, America First Legal sent a letter to the company’s CEO and Board of Directors demanding that Apple end its illegal, discriminatory practices in hiring (10)(11). The company appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its leadership composition. From its 2025 Corporate Governance Guidelines: “The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is committed to including individuals with a diverse mix of skills, backgrounds, and experiences in the pool of candidates from which nominees to the Board are selected” (12). The company appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its supply chain. From its 2023 Racial Equity and Justice Initiative report: “When contracting with suppliers, we use our purchasing power to increase equity, diversity, and inclusion within our supply chain and work to change business practices that harm those who are underrepresented in their field or industry” (13). The company does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (14).

Apple’s HRC 2026 CEI rating indicates the company potentially agrees to allow a controversial stakeholder group focused on sexual identity issues to dictate marketing or advertising strategy. By doing so, the company risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (1)(2)(3). Apple’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company agrees to allow a controversial stakeholder group focused on sexual identity issues to dictate marketing or advertising strategy. By doing so, the company risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (4)(5). The company used iTunes to solicit donations for the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) (6). The company’s CEO Tim Cook wrote a Washington Post op-ed referring to religious freedom legislation as “pro discrimination” (7). The company opposed various state and local legislation intended to protect parental rights, girls’ sports, bathroom facilities, and gendered spaces (8). The company opposed legislation in Iowa intended to protect parental rights, girls’ sports, bathroom facilities, and gendered spaces (9). The company signed an open letter endorsing the Equality Act, a contentious proposal to amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act by adding sexual orientation and so-called gender identity as protected categories. The legislation would, among other implications, grant biological men access to women-only spaces such as sports teams and public restrooms, and compel healthcare providers to deliver sex-denying healthcare (10). The company voiced opposition to various state legislatures’ efforts to secure their voting systems (11). The company signed an amicus brief in opposition to the 2016 North Carolina bathroom bill HB2, which required people to use the bathroom of their biological sex (12)(13). The company’s CEO, Tim Cook, is a member of the Business Roundtable and signed its 2019 Statement on the Purpose of a Corporation, which promotes stakeholder capitalism over traditional obligations to shareholders (14)(15). The company opposed the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act, which would prohibit teaching gender identity and sexual orientation to kids in K-3rd grade (16). The company supports ESG within its business practices. From its ESG Report: “At Apple, we’re demonstrating every day that business can and should be a force for good. And we’ve made important progress over the last year through our Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives” (17). The company is a Ceres Network Member, committed to carbon neutrality by 2040 (18)(19)(20). The company committed to a 2030 carbon neutrality pledge (21). The company supports DEI within its business practices. In its 2025 annual shareholder meeting, the company recommended voting against a proposal titled “Request to Cease DEI Efforts”, stating that “the proposal inappropriately attempts to restrict Apple’s ability to manage its own ordinary business operations, people and teams, and business strategies” (22). The company also supports “Criminal justice rooted in reform” (23). On “International Transgender Day of Visibility” in March 2025, Apple Podcasts highlighted several transgender podcasts, and Apple Music highlighted transgender artists (24)(25). One of the company’s executives, Deirdre O’Brien (SVP, Retail + People), also posted in support of “Transgender Day of Visibility” (26). The company is aligned with the Paris Agreement, which entails a commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 (27). The company supports DEI within its business practices, hosting a DEI Inclusion and Diversity (I&D) team (28). The company scored a 100 out of 100 on the 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a political stakeholder group (29)(30).

Apple provides a benefits package for employees that covers travel/lodging costs for an abortion and transgender medical procedures for covered employees and dependents, including children (1)(2)(3)(4)(5). Apple’s HRC 2026 CEI rating indicates the company covers transgender related costs for its employees and their children, including paid short-term leave, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, chest surgeries, genital surgeries, medical visits, lab monitoring, and mental health benefits. The company also covers at least five of the following services: reconstructive hair removal, cosmetic hair removal, tracheal shave or reduction, facial surgeries, voice modification surgery, voice modification therapy, lipoplasty or filling for body masculinization or feminization, and travel and lodging expenses. Additionally, the company has potentially pledged philanthropic support of at least one organization or event that promotes sex and gender ideology. By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company increases health care costs and risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (6)(7)(8)(9). The company’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company covers transgender related costs for its employees and their children, including paid short-term leave, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, chest surgeries, genital surgeries, medical visits and lab monitoring, travel and lodging. Additionally, the company has pledged philanthropic support of at least one organization or event that promotes sex and gender ideology. By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company increases health care costs and risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (10)(11). The company stated “…we support our employees’ rights to make their own decisions regarding their reproductive health. For more than a decade, Apple’s comprehensive benefits have allowed our employees to travel out-of-state for medical care if it is unavailable in their home state” (12). The company has given $1 million to the SPLC and is a Platinum Sponsor of the HRC (13)(14). Overall, the company has pledged $100 million to the Black Lives Matter movement and related causes (15)(16). The company is a Titanium sponsor of Out and Equal and is a corporate partner of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (17)(18). The company is a silver partner of PFLAG, an LGBTQ+ activist group that promotes books for children with sexually explicit and gender fluid content and advocates against laws that inform parents of their child’s gender dysphoria or prevent unapproved transgender medical treatments for minors (19)(20)(21). The company is a member of the MCCA, indicating its focus on recruiting, retaining, and promoting employees based on race (22)(23). Apple is a partner of the HRC’s Foundation (24)(25). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of the company using corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (26).

Apple’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company publicly advocated for controversial sex and gender ideology through local, state or federal legislation or initiatives. By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (1)(2). The company does not operate a PAC at this time (3)(4). In 2020, the company lobbied for George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020 (5). In 2022, the company lobbied for Equality Act (6). In 2022, the company lobbied for Respect for Marriage Act (7).