2 weeks Ago By Rishaj Upadhyay
Apple is facing a new lawsuit in California from one of its employees, Amar Bhakta, for alleged labor violations. The filed lawsuit accuses Apple of illegally spying on its employees through their iPhones and iCloud accounts. Bhakta also accuses the company of prohibiting employees from discussing their pay structure and working conditions in the lawsuit.
Apple faces a lawsuit in California for allegedly spying on employees’ personal iPhones The lawsuit filed yesterday suggests that the iPhone 16 maker requires employees to install software on the personal devices they use at work. The software allegedly allows the company to have access to certain apps installed on employees’ devices. Apple allegedly monitors apps that contain emails, photo libraries, health information, and other apps that contain employees’ personal information.
Bhakta says Apple made him choose between his personal and the company’s iPhone. When he chose the personal iPhone, the company allegedly installed an eSIM and VPN. That’s not all, he was made to use his personal iCloud account to collaborate with his colleagues.
Bhakta’s lawsuit also accuses the company of prohibiting him from sharing his work experience on podcasts or any media outlets . He claims that Apple’s policies prevent employees from discussing their responsibilities, accomplishments, and professional growth on networking sites like LinkedIn. Apple allegedly ordered him to remove information about his “ working conditions and work experiences ” from his LinkedIn account.
The lawsuit also argues this policy prevents employees from looking for new employment opportunities. Apple denies all the claims made in the lawsuit In the lawsuit, he further accuses Apple of requiring employees to agree to a policy that lets the company use “ electronic, physical, and video surveillance ” of them. A part of the lawsuit reads, “ 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 seeks damages from the iPhone 16 Pro maker for violations of the California Labor Code. Besides, he demands, “ appropriate injunctive relief ” to protect California Apple employees from future violations. Meanwhile, Apple says it is working to protect the inventions the team creates for customers.
Referring to the lawsuit, Apple spokesperson Josh Rosenstock says, “ Every employee has the right to discuss their wages, hours, and working conditions and this is part of our business conduct policy, which all employees are trained on annually. We strongly disagree with these claims and believe they lack merit. “.
