Apple, Microsoft, Box and others react to Trump victory

The Donald has tech leaders in a tizz

The prospect of Donald Trump setting up home in the White House has sent shockwaves through the technology community, with Apple, Microsoft and Box among those to react to the Republican's victory over Hillary Clinton.

The statements are notable in that they make no, or only passing, reference to Trump by name, and make it plain that the companies do not agree with many of the statements and policy ideas Trump outlined during his campaign.

Apple CEO Tim Cook sent a letter to staff, seen by Buzzfeed, stating that the firm remains proud of its "very diverse team of employees" and that all are welcome at the company.

"Our company is open to all, and we celebrate the diversity of our team here in the US and around the world, regardless of what they look like, where they come from, how they worship or who they love," he wrote.

Microsoft chief legal officer Brad Smith also touched on this, noting the diversity of the firm's employee base.

"Over a third of our engineers have come from other countries. 157 countries, in fact. We have employees from every race, ethnic background and religion. If there's a language spoken on the planet, there's a good chance that it's spoken by an employee at Microsoft," he said.

"And we're committed to promoting not just diversity among all the men and women who work here, but the type of inclusive culture that will enable people to do their best work and pursue rewarding careers."

This sentiment was echoed by Box CEO Aaron Levie, who sent an email to staff that he also published online stating that the firm remains committed to welcoming all people to its business.

"Rest assured that, in this upcoming administration, we'll be a major advocate for all issues that affect our employees and our values as a company (LGBTQ rights, fair immigration policies, racial and gender equality etc)," he said.

Meanwhile, Mark Zuckerberg took to Facebook to share his thoughts on the outcome, choosing instead to focus on why he believes the future of the planet will not depend on the president of the US, but on the wider world and its goals.

"Last night was [Zuckerberg's daughter] Max's first election. She's got a lot of election nights ahead of her. Holding Max, I thought about all the work ahead of us to create the world we want for our children. This work is bigger than any presidency, and progress does not move in a straight line," he wrote.

"The most important opportunities of Max's generation - like curing all disease, improving education, connecting everyone and promoting equal opportunity - will take long-term focus and finding new ways for all of us to work together, sometimes over decades."

Meanwhile, rights group the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) said that it will retain its focus on fighting for civil liberties regardless of what the future holds.

"At this critical moment, we want digital civil liberties supporters worldwide to feel confident that the EFF remains steadfast in its mission and method: to use law and technology to champion civil liberties and provide a potent check against overreach," the organisation said.