In a memo obtained by BuzzFeed, Apple chief executive officer Tim Cook has called for unity at the firm following the US elections.

It’s been a tumultuous year for Apple from a political point of view. Earlier this year Apple publicly declared that it would not programme a backdoor into iOS so that the FBI could brute-force an iPhone that belonged to a San Bernadino shooter. The move brought with it support from firms such as Google but also drew sharp criticism from none other than US president-elect Donald Trump.

“What I think you ought to do is boycott Apple until such time as they give that security number,” Trump said.

Now that Trump has been named as the new president there have been reports of abuse being hurled at persons of colour and Cook took time out to call for unity at Apple.

Cook doesn’t mention the president-elect by name but mentions that the aftermath of the elections has left many employees with strong feelings.

“We have a very diverse team of employees, including supporters of each of the candidates. Regardless of which candidate each of us supported as individuals, the only way to move forward is to move forward together,” wrote Cook.

The CEO goes on to mention that while there are uncertainties ahead Apple’s goals remain unchanged. “Our products connect people everywhere, and they provide the tools for our customers to do great things to improve their lives and the world at large. Our company is open to all, and we celebrate the diversity of our team here in the United States and around the world — regardless of what they look like, where they come from, how they worship or who they love,” said Cook.

Cook ends his memo by calling on the firm to move forward together and telling employees to reach out to co-workers should they feel anxious.

[Image – C.C 2.0 by Mike Deerkoski]]