“Apple Inc. has’t been particularly outspoken on President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, outside of sending an internal memo about it to employees that was later leaked to the press, but Tim Cook broke the seal on Wednesday,” Jennifer Booton reports for MarketWatch.
“The Apple chief executive told students in Scotland he’s against the Trump administration’s travel ban from seven Middle Eastern and African countries, though he stopped short of calling Apple an activist,” Booton reports. “‘I do not support the immigration ban,’ Cook said in a town hall meeting at the University of Glasgow, where he was honored Wednesday with an honorary degree.”
“Cook walked back the company’s role as an activist when pressed later by a student, saying he doesn’t view Apple or himself as an activist because the word tends to have a negative connotation,” Booton reports. “‘A lot of people hear that word and they think about sort of a professional activist. And that’s not we are, and that’s not what I am,’ he said.”
“Cook nevertheless expressed the importance of speaking up when necessary, and pointed as an example to the company’s role standing up to the FBI when it was pressed to unlock the iPhone of the San Bernardino terrorist who shot dead 14 people in 2015,” Booton reports. “Cook has taken a far more nuanced approach to the travel ban. Prior to Wednesday’s comments, Cook had only referenced the ban in an internal memo to employees a day after the order was signed…”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: As always — but, regarding Apple, even more now — God forbid any Islamic terrorist attack takes place in the U.S. now, lest Apple et al. be blamed.
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:
Apple joins fight against President Trump’s executive order, ‘Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States’ – February 6, 2017
Apple, Google, others draft joint letter regarding President Trump’s executive order, ‘Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States’ – February 2, 2017
Apple mulls legal options against President Trump’s executive order, ‘Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States’’ – February 1, 2017
President Donald Trump’s next immigration policy to target what Silicon Valley fears most – January 31, 2017
President Trump’s travel ban stirs little outcry beyond Silicon Valley – January 30, 2017
Tim Cook: Apple does not support President Trump’s executive order, ‘Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States’ – January 30, 2017
Tech industry frets over possible H-1B visa program changes under President Trump – January 28, 2017
President Trump eyes an H-1B visa aimed at ‘best and brightest’ – January 27, 2017
Silicon Valley uncertain after Donald Trump wins U.S. presidency – November 10, 2016
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
[Thanks to MacDailyNews readers too numerous to mention individually for the heads up.]