Apple has been sued by its own employee for spying on the workers via their personal devices like iPhone, iPad and iCloud accounts. The lawsuit, filed by Amar Bhakta, states that Apple is barring them to discuss their pay and working conditions. Notably, Bhakta has worked with Apple as digital advertising division since 2020.
Apple has been accused in a new lawsuit of illegally monitoring its workers’ personal devices and iCloud accounts while also barring them from discussing their pay and working conditions.
The complaint filed in California state court on Sunday by Amar Bhakta, who works in…
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In the lawsuit, Bhakta alleges that Apple forces employees to surrender their right to privacy as a condition of employment. The lawsuit further claims that Apple mandates workers to consent to a policy allowing the company to conduct physical, video, and electronic surveillance, even when employees are at home.
“For Apple employees, the so-called Apple ecosystem is not a walled garden, but a prison yard—a panopticon where workers, both on and off duty, are constantly under Apple’s all-seeing eye,” the lawsuit states.
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The lawsuit alleges that Apple mandates employees to use only Apple-made products for work. However, due to the limitations imposed on these devices, many employees reportedly resort to using their personal devices. However, according to an Apple policy, any data associated with an employee’s personal account—such as emails, photos, videos, and notes—becomes “subject to search by Apple” when personal devices are used for work purposes.
The lawsuit argues that “Apple’s surveillance policies and practices suppress and unlawfully restrict employee whistleblowing, competition, job mobility, and freedom of speech.”
In response, a spokesperson for Apple stated that the lawsuit’s claims are without merit, emphasizing that employees receive annual training on their rights to discuss workplace conditions. “At Apple, our priority is to create the best products and services globally, and we work to safeguard the innovations our teams develop for customers,” the company told Reuters.
Apple has been accused in a new lawsuit of illegally monitoring its workers’ personal devices and iCloud accounts while also barring them from discussing their pay and working conditions pic.twitter.com/KCAhH9iNFE
— Reuters Legal (@ReutersLegal) December 2, 2024
Bhakta revealed that Apple barred him from participating in podcasts to discuss his expertise in digital advertising and instructed him to delete specific details about his work at Apple from his LinkedIn profile.
Additionally, Bhakta’s lawyers also represent two women who filed a lawsuit in June, accusing Apple of systematically underpaying female employees in its engineering, marketing, and AppleCare departments. Apple, in response, has stated that it is committed to inclusion and ensuring pay equity across the company.
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