Title: Why Apple Stands Firm on DEI Policy, Despite Controversy
Good morning,
Up-and-coming X rival Bluesky is poised to introduce a novel social media paradigm, enabling users to manage their personal data. And a recent initiative aims to raise $4 million to further this vision.
Free Our Feeds announced on Monday that it's collaborating with Bluesky, whose user base has grown significantly post-election. The goal is to establish a nonprofit foundation, leveraging Bluesky's open-source infrastructure.
This foundation aims to foster an ecosystem of social applications, even if they indirectly compete with Bluesky. The ultimate objective is to guarantee users alternative platforms, should Bluesky encounter a takeover.
INITIATIVE SPOTLIGHT
Apple urged shareholders to reject a proposal to abandon its DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) commitments, one of the few companies to publicly support its diversity standards. As a wave of anti-DEI sentiment prompts companies like Meta and McDonald’s to abandon such policies, Apple shareholders will vote on the proposal at its annual meeting on February 25.
Investigator Jack Smith's final report on Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election revealed that federal investigators had gathered evidence sufficient to convict the president-elect had he won in November. The case was dropped due to the Constitution's prohibition on indicting and prosecuting a sitting president. However, Smith pointed out that this does not minimize the crimes charged, the strength of the prosecution's case, or the merits of the prosecution themselves.
Enrichment Data:
To gain more insight into the campaign, visit these resources:
- Business Insider: This article provides a detailed account of the "Free Our Feeds" campaign, which aims to raise $30 million over three years to establish a public-interest foundation supporting the AT Protocol. The funds will be utilized for constructing independent infrastructure, such as a relay system, and financing developers to create new applications on the protocol. The immediate goal is to collect $4 million for AT Protocol support and infrastructure development[1].
- Indy 100: This article highlights the "Free Our Feeds" campaign's objectives of creating an independently hosted infrastructure for Bluesky. The campaign's objective is to protect the AT Protocol against billionaire control by crafting an open social media ecosystem. The campaign involves notable supporters like Mark Ruffalo and Jimmy Wales, and a GoFundMe page with a $4 million goal sets the fundraising target[2].
- Medianama: This source delves into the campaign's objectives, emphasizing the establishment of a public-interest foundation to make the AT Protocol independent and globally standardized. It also describes the development of independent infrastructure to ensure open access to data streams and the creation of a developer's fund to foster social applications on open protocols[3].
- Silicon Republic: This resource highlights the goal of safeguarding Bluesky's technology from billionaire control by creating an open social media ecosystem. It mentions the involvement of technical advisors and custodians, including Mark Surman from the Mozilla Foundation, and the creation of a GoFundMe page with a $4 million target to establish a public-interest foundation and fund developers[4].
- Technology Review: This article emphasizes the need to protect the AT Protocol from corporate control, citing the subsidiarity principle in social media governance. It discusses the challenges of relying on venture capital and the importance of securing the foundation of this digital future through independent infrastructure and nonprofit governance[5].
These sources collectively offer a holistic understanding of the campaign's goals, objectives, and steps to ensure an independent, nonprofit foundation for a new social media model that allows users to control their data.
Jack Smith's investigation into Donald Trump's election overturn attempts revealed significant evidence, enough to potentially convict if Trump had won. Unfortunately, the Constitution's prohibition on indicting a sitting president prevented this from happening. (donald trump, investigation)
Elon Musk's company, Nvidia, is reportedly planning to launch a new AI-powered platform on TikTok. This collaboration could significantly boost TikTok's capabilities in the AI field. (tiktok, elon musk, nvidia)
Forbes Daily reported that Apple faced shareholder pressure to abandon its DEI commitments, but the tech giant refused to back down. Despite anti-DEI sentiment among some companies, Apple remains committed to its diversity, equity, and inclusion policies. (apple, dei, forbes daily)
In a recent business newsletter, it was revealed that Jack Smith's report on Donald Trump's election overturn attempts had uncovered significant evidence. The report highlighted the strength of the prosecution's case and the merits of the charges, even if the sitting president could not be indicted. (business newsletter, jack smith, donald trump)
The "Free Our Feeds" initiative, which aims to support Bluesky's open-source infrastructure, has gained the support of notable figures like Mark Ruffalo and Jimmy Wales. The initiative's GoFundMe page aims to raise $4 million to establish a nonprofit foundation that will foster an ecosystem of social applications, ensuring users alternative platforms if Bluesky is taken over. (free our feeds, bluesky, mark ruffalo, jimmy wales)
