Apple Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Employee Surveillance and Confidentiality Breaches
1min read Apple Inc. is currently facing allegations in the form of a new lawsuit filed by Amar Bhakta, an employee in the company's digital advertising division. The lawsuit accuses Apple of unlawfully monitoring employees' personal devices and iCloud accounts, imposing strict confidentiality policies that prohibit discussions on wages and working conditions. Filed in California state court, the lawsuit claims that Apple mandates the installation of specific software on employees' personal work devices, thereby gaining access to their emails, photo libraries, health data, and smart home information.
Bhakta, who joined Apple in 2020, claims he faced restrictions for discussing his work in a podcast and was instructed to remove information related to his job conditions from his LinkedIn profile. He highlights Apple's confidentiality policy's profound impact on employees' freedom of speech, particularly prohibiting interactions with the media and protected whistleblowing activities. Apple, however, has denied any allegations of unlawful surveillance, asserting that the policies apply only to “Apple-owned or managed” devices, emphasizing no enterprise allows unauthorized devices to access sensitive network information.
In response, Apple declared in an email statement that they remain focused on creating the best products and services globally while protecting the innovations crafted by their team. Apple asserted that every employee is entitled to discuss their salary, hours, and working conditions, as part of the business conduct policy, which all employees complete training on annually. The company firmly opposes the claims, considering them baseless.
The controversy underscores broader concerns regarding employee privacy and rights within major tech enterprises. As employees navigate the line between professional obligations and personal privacy, the balance Apple and other tech giants must strike will remain a subject of scrutiny.
