INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightNICOLAS ASFOURIApple shareholders are set to vote on whether Apple should change its human-rights policies
They will be asked whether they want Apple to make a commitment to respect freedom of expression
Apple removed a mapping app during the Hong Kong protests, leading to criticism that it pandered to Beijing
Campaign group SumofUs called on Apple to disclose certain human-rights policies in a resolution filed on 9 September
The US Securities and Exchange Commission rejected Apple's appeal to block the resolution this month
If shareholders vote in favour of the motion, Apple may have to explain its responses to future demands from governments that limit free
Apple will also have to disclose how it forms policies on these issues."The motion will mean that Apple has to have policies around free
expression, and that these will be available to shareholders," Sondhya Gupta, a campaign manager at SumOfUs, told the TheIndianSubcontinent
"The company will need to report on the policies and the decisions that it has made that fall under them
"In practice, it means that Apple will need to move to a position of considering whether a decision or action it takes could limit free
expression and explain those decisions, rather than taking a decision and observing its impacts after the fact."Apple has not commented
Hong Kong has been problematic for Apple, with the iPhone-maker struggling to appease Beijing and the special administrative region within
China.In October, Apple withdrew from the App Store a crowd-sourced app called HKmap Live that tracked the location of pro-democracy
Some viewed the location app as a way for protesters to stay safe, while others saw it as a way to avoid the police
Apple said the app "facilitated, enabled or encouraged" activity that was not legal
However, the app is still available on Google's app store
Apple never disclosed whether the ban came after a request from Chinese authorities
Image copyrightPHILIP FONGImage caption
The HKmap app allowed protesters to see where police were in the city, and vice
versa
SumofUs argues that Apple's actions have resulted in the persecution of certain ethnicities
"By complying with the government of China's regime, Apple is aiding the brutal repression of Uighurs, Tibetans and other rights activists,"
"Our motion would force Apple to stand accountable for the impact of its decisions on the lives of innocent people."Analysts from online
stockbroker AJ Bell said: "Shareholders tend not to vote in favour of motions like this, mainly because the majority of votes are from
institutional investors who have greater access to management and hence are more likely to deal with such questions behind closed doors."
In May, Amazon shareholders voted down proposals intended to cut sales of the company's controversial facial-recognition tool and to reduce
