Apple Accused of Employee Iphone Monitoring
A lawsuit was filed, accuses the tech giant for accessing employee data through company managed devices – along with personal devices it “actively encourages” workers to use.
Words by Damian Nicholas
APPLE
A new lawsuit has been brought against Apple by an employee who claims the company is monitoring its workers through their iCloud accounts and personal devices. Filed in California, the lawsuit asserts that Apple employees are pressured to relinquish their personal privacy rights. According to the complaint, the company asserts that it can conduct surveillance—whether physical, video, or electronic—on employees even when they are not at work and after they leave the company.
The plaintiff, Amar Bhakta, has been employed by Apple in the advertising technology sector since 2020. He contends that Apple's privacy policies have negatively impacted his career opportunities. For example, the policies prevented him from engaging in public speaking about digital advertising and forced him to remove job-related information from his LinkedIn profile.
The lawsuit describes the work environment at Apple as oppressive, likening the company's monitoring practices to a surveillance system where employees are constantly watched, both at work and outside of it. Apple has responded to the allegations, stating that it firmly disagrees with the claims. The company emphasized that all employees are entitled to discuss their working conditions, a principle that is reinforced through annual training on their business conduct policy.
APPLE
Bhakta is being represented by attorneys who have previously taken on high-profile cases against major tech firms, focusing on questionable employment practices. Their lawsuit argues that Apple's policies blur the lines between employees' personal and professional lives, giving the company undue insight into what employees do outside of work.
The lawsuit highlights a requirement that employees use only Apple devices for work-related tasks. Because of Apple's device restrictions, many employees resort to using their personal Apple devices, which necessitates accessing their iCloud accounts. The lawsuit claims that software installed on these devices allows Apple to monitor nearly all activities, including tracking their real-time location. Although employees could theoretically avoid surveillance by using a company-owned device connected to a separate iCloud account, the lawsuit states that Apple actively discourages this practice.
Bhakta has filed the lawsuit under a California law that empowers employees to take legal action on behalf of the state regarding labor violations. If the court finds Apple liable, the company could face significant fines for each violation, multiplied by the number of affected employees.
Damian Nicholas
Editor-in-Chief, Frasspot
Damian Nicholas is the editor-in-chief for Frasspot. He manage all content, production, and consumer experiences across all platforms. He has contributed as editor-in-chief since December 2019.
Dec 06, 2024
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