Apple just indefinitely suspended internal Slack channels for Jewish and Muslim employees after deleting messages about the Israel-Hamas war, according to internal messages viewed by Insider.
“We have a very important update to share with you today. We saw and heard your feedback,” a leader of Apple’s Muslim employee resource group wrote. “We’ve collectively decided that the only sustainable path forward is to briefly pause the Apple Muslim Slack channel. The Apple Jewish Slack channel will do the same.”
A person familiar with the channel said the pause follows Apple’s removal of messages related to the Israel-Hamas war.
“We’re taking this action to ensure a respectful environment for our communities during a painful and tragic time,” the person wrote while acknowledging that employees may not be happy about the decision. “We know this comes at a time in which we need community more than ever.”
Insider has not confirmed the contents of the messages that Apple deleted. In one Slack message Insider did see, an employee made an observation that off-limits topics, based on posts removed from the channel for Muslim employees, appeared to be organizing efforts, protests, verses from the Quran, frustration about the situation in Gaza, and “certain words that are said by international organizations.”
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Reports about Apple CEO Tim Cook have suggested he’s remained “tight-lipped” about the war.
But he did send at least one company-wide email to employees shortly after the October 7 Hamas attacks, according to a copy viewed by Insider.
“Like so many of you, I am devastated by the horrific attacks in Israel and the tragic reports coming out of the region,” Cook wrote in the Oct. 9 email to employees. “My heart goes out to the victims, those who have lost loves ones, and all of the innocent people who are suffering as a result of this violence.”
Apple isn’t the only company moderating employee discussions about the Israel-Hamas war. Microsoft recently shut down a discussion between employees, according to internal messages viewed by Insider.
In a post viewed by around 90,000 users of Microsoft’s internal “all company” message board, one employee wrote about feeling a “strong sense of disillusionment with our work and the company” over what the person viewed as “one-sided statements” by its senior leaders in support of Israel. Microsoft closed the discussion after about 60 comments.
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