Cook calls 'religious objection' laws dangerous

NEW YORK — Apple CEO Tim Cook said that "religious objection" legislation being introduced in a number states such as Indiana and Texas is dangerous.

In an op-ed piece for The Washington Post, Cook said that the bills under consideration "have the potential to undo decades of progress toward greater equality."

He gave several examples, including a bill enacted in Indiana last week and another passed in Arkansas that say business owners can cite their personal religious beliefs to refuse service to a customer or resist a state nondiscrimination law.

Cook said he was opposing the new wave of legislation on behalf of Apple, a company that he said strives to conduct its business "in a way that is just and fair."

Cook on Friday posted tweets to his more than 1 million followers critical of Arkansas' House Bill 1228, the Conscience Protection Act. That came a day after Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman wrote in an open letter on the company blog that laws like HB1228 set a "terrible precedent" and hurt the economies of states that enact them.