An Apple employee has filed a new lawsuit against the company. The plaintiff claims that the Cupertino giant monitors their personal devices illegally and infringes upon the rights of workers to discuss their pay and work conditions.
This is in addition to ongoing scrutiny of Apple's labor practices and claims that it discriminates its pay and exercises overly restrictive policies at workplaces.
Apple Allegedly Accessing Personal Data
As Reuters spotted, the lawsuit, filed by Amar Bhakta in California state court, claims that Apple forces employees to install work-related software on personal devices.
The software allegedly allows Apple to access private information, including email, photo libraries, health data, and smart home details. Bhakta claims this violates his privacy rights as an employee, particularly since these devices are also used for personal purposes.
Bhakta, working in Apple's digital advertisement division since 2020, argues that this condition would blur the line between his personal life and work life and infringe on his right over his own private data.
Policies of Confidentiality Under Censure
The lawsuit also attacks Apple's confidentiality policies, which Bhakta claims limit employees from discussing pay, working conditions, or reporting concerns about workplace issues.
Bhakta claims he was stopped from speaking about his role on podcasts and was ordered to remove LinkedIn posts about his work environment.
The complaint suggests that these policies may discourage employees from engaging in legally protected activities such as whistleblowing and collective bargaining.
Apple Denies Allegations
As per Wccftech, Apple responded with claims that have no merits. In a statement, one of the spokespersons clarified that employees are always trained on what to say and not say regarding working conditions.
The firm maintains that it has a confidentiality policy meant to shield intellectual property and innovation, not restrict the rights of employees.
"At Apple, we focus on making the best products and services in the world. We work to protect the inventions our teams create for customers," the spokesperson said.
A Broader Context of Labor Issues at Apple
This is not an isolated case. Two women filed a lawsuit against Apple earlier this year, seeking class-action status, claiming widespread underpayment of female employees in engineering and marketing and AppleCare. This is aside from the fact that the U.S. National Labor Relations Board is actually investigating multiple complaints that claim it is stifling employee discussions relating to pay inequality and workplace bias.
The case is presently filed under California's Private Attorneys General Act, giving employees the right to prosecute on behalf of the state and subsequently take a share of imposed penalties.
Critics Believe Apple Should Be Liable
The court case represents a conflict where employee rights in the tech industry get pitted against corporate interest. Apple, for instance often seeks to protect proprietary information or innovation but critics argue that such measures diminish worker autonomy and transparency.
In any way, the iPhone maker should be liable for invading the employees' privacy. It's much worse because it's done outside their working hours.
With California's strong worker protection laws, this lawsuit could set a precedent for employee privacy rights and transparency in major corporations. It may encourage other tech employees to challenge restrictive policies in their workplaces.
