Tech companies in the US are usually wary about speaking on sensitive issues that could polarise their target market. But Apple CEO Tim Cook did exactly that when he publicly denouncing legislation in several US states that would allow people and businesses to legally discriminate against others, such as by citing their personal religious beliefs to refuse service to a customer. Although Cook was sharing his personal beliefs in an op-ed that appeared over the weekend in The Washington Post, he’s likely to have made many uncomfortable when he stated that he was speaking “on behalf of Apple."

“Apple is open. Open to everyone, regardless of where they come from, what they look like, how they worship or who they love," 54-year-old Cook, who is openly gay, said. “These bills rationalise injustice," Cook said in the 550-word piece. "They go against the very principles our nation was founded on, and they have the potential to undo decades of progress toward greater equality,” he said.

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