Apple Faces Allegations of Worker Suppression and Unauthorized Surveillance of Personal Devices

Apple is facing serious allegations in a lawsuit filed in California state court on Sunday, accusing the tech giant of illegally monitoring its employees’ personal devices and iCloud accounts. The lawsuit also claims Apple has imposed strict confidentiality policies that prevent workers from discussing their pay and working conditions, including whistleblowing on legal matters, reported Reuters.

The complaint, filed by Amar Bhakta, a digital advertising employee who has been with the company since 2020, alleges that Apple requires its employees to install monitoring software on their devices. This software purportedly grants the company access to personal information, encompassing emails, photographs, health-related data, and information derived from “smart home” devices. Bhakta contends that these surveillance practices infringe upon employee privacy rights.

In addition to these allegations, the lawsuit contends that Apple implements policies that inhibit employees from openly discussing their working conditions, especially with the media, and from engaging in legally protected whistleblower activities. Bhakta asserts that he was explicitly prohibited from discussing his professional activities on podcasts and was directed to eliminate any references to his working conditions from his LinkedIn profile.

“Apple’s surveillance policies and practices chill, and thus also unlawfully restrain, employee whistleblowing, competition, freedom of employee movement in the job market, and freedom of speech,” the lawsuit said.

Apple in a statement provided by a spokesperson said the claims in the lawsuit lack merit and that its workers are trained annually on their rights to discuss their working conditions.

“At Apple, we’re focused on creating the best products and services in the world and we work to protect the inventions our teams create for customers,” the company said.

This lawsuit arises in the context of additional legal challenges currently confronting Apple. The attorneys representing Bhakta also advocate for two women who initiated litigation in June, alleging that Apple has engaged in a systematic practice of undercompensating female employees within its engineering, marketing, and AppleCare divisions. The company has refuted these allegations, asserting its dedication to inclusivity and equitable compensation.

Moreover, Apple is presently contending with a minimum of three complaints lodged by the U.S. National Labor Relations Board, which allege that the company has unlawfully dissuaded employees from engaging in discussions regarding workplace matters, including pay discrimination and sexual bias. These actions are purportedly inclusive of imposing limitations on employees’ utilization of social media platforms and internal communication applications such as Slack. Apple has once more refuted any allegations of misconduct.

According to a distinctive California statute that permits employees to initiate legal action on behalf of the state, the lawsuit may lead to the imposition of penalties, with 35% of any recovered funds allocated to Bhakta and other impacted employees.