Tim Cook on Trump Win: 'Move Forward Together'

In the wake of Donald Trump's election, Apple CEO Tim Cook this week sent an email to employees calling for a united front moving forward.

"Regardless of which candidate each of us supported as individuals, the only way to move forward is to move forward together," Cook wrote.

"While there is discussion today about uncertainties ahead, you can be confident that Apple's North Star hasn't changed," he continued. "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."

Apple and the President-elect have had a rocky relationship. Trump once called for his followers to boycott Apple (while tweeting from an iPhone), while Cook & Co. refused to back the Republican party during its July convention in Ohio.

Microsoft chief Satya Nadella also weighed in on LinkedIn, congratulating Trump while reiterating that Redmond's "commitment to our mission and values are steadfast, and in particular fostering a diverse and inclusive culture." He then pointed readers to a blog post from Microsoft's chief legal officer, which lays out the company's policy priorities going forward.

Neither CEO mentioned Trump by name in their notes, nor did Mark Zuckerberg, who penned a public Facebook post about Election Day.

"Last night was Max's first election," Zuckerberg wrote next to an image of himself holding his 11-month-old daughter while watching the returns roll in. Now, "the work ahead of us to create a world we want for our children."

"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," Zuckerberg continued.

"This work is bigger than any presidency and progress does not move in a straight line," he wrote, reminding readers that "we have the responsibility" to make the world better, and encouraging them to "go work even harder."

Some might say the same of Facebook, which has been criticized for its spread of misinformation during the year-long presidential campaign. Following allegations that it regularly suppresses politically conservative news stories, the company in August transitioned from a human-curated trending news section to an algorithm-based system.

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Three days later, fake stories began appearing, claiming that Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly was on the chopping block for supporting Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, or that planted bombs—not terrorists—were responsible for the Sept. 11, 2001 collapse of the World Trade Center.

Facebook acknowledged the social network's blunders and outlined a plan to display more "meaningful" content, all the while reminding the world that it is "not a media company."

Facebook did not immediately respond to PCMag's request for comment. But a spokeswoman told Bloomberg that "While Facebook played a part in this election, it was just one of many ways people received their information—and was one of the many ways people connected with their leaders, engaged in the political process, and shared their views."

Still, Facebook and Twitter—which says the second presidential debate was most tweeted debate ever—are integral pieces of any modern political platform, and the 2016 election was a prime example.

The Pew Research Center recently suggested that 20 percent of social media users modified their stance on a social or political issue because of something they saw on a social media site. Another 17 percent said social media helped change their views about a specific candidate.