Apple has been accused of illegally surveillance of its workers’ personal devices and iCloud accounts in a new lawsuit, while also banning them from discussing their wages and working conditions.
Amar Bhakta filed a complaint in a California court Sunday, working for digital advertising at Apple, claiming that the company requires employees to install software on personal devices used to work, allowing Apple to access its email, photo gallery, health and “smart home” data and other personal information.
At the same time, Apple has adopted a confidentiality policy, prohibiting employees from discussing working conditions, including the media, and engaging in legally protected reports, the lawsuit said.
Bhakta, who has worked at Apple since 2020, said he was banned from talking about his work on the podcast and directed the removal of information about his working conditions from his LinkedIn profile.
“Apple’s surveillance policies and practices are chilling, and therefore illegally restricting employee reporting, competition, employee freedom of movement in the job market, and freedom of speech,” the lawsuit said.
Apple said in a statement provided by a spokesperson that claims in the lawsuit lacked the merits and that its workers were trained annually to discuss their rights to work conditions.
“At Apple, we focus on creating the best products and services in the world, and we are committed to protecting the inventions our team has created for our customers,” the company said.
Bacta’s lawyers also represent two women who filed a lawsuit in June accusing female workers who systematically paid for their work in its engineering, marketing and apps divisions. Apple said it is committed to inclusiveness and payment rights.
Apple also faces at least three complaints from the U.S. Labor Commission, claiming it illegally prevents employees from discussing issues such as sexual bias and discrimination between each other, including restricting their use of social media and workplace messaging app Slack. The company denies misconduct.
The new lawsuit is filed under a unique California law that allows workers to sue their employers on behalf of the state and retain 35% of any fines recovered.
©Thomson Reuters 2024
