'Subject to Apple's All-Seeing Eye': An Apple Manager Is Accusing the Tech Giant of Spying on Employees, According to a New Lawsuit The employee alleges that Apple can conduct physical, video, and electronic surveillance of employees, even when they're off the clock.
By Sherin Shibu Edited by Melissa Malamut
Key Takeaways
- Apple employee Amar Bhakta sued the company he works for on Sunday, alleging the tech giant surveils employees even when not working.
- The company can also collect and use personal data from employees, per the complaint.
- Apple told Semafor that it disagrees with the accusations in the lawsuit.
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An Apple employee sued the company on Sunday evening, alleging the tech giant surveils its workforce and spies on workers using data from personal accounts and devices.
First reported by Semafor, the 28-page lawsuit filed in California Superior Court details how the plaintiff, Amar Bhakta, began working as a Digital Ad Tech/Operations Manager for Apple in July 2020. According to Bhakta, working for Apple meant waiving his rights to privacy and autonomy.
"Apple requires the use of Apple devices, software, and services for work, including personal iCloud accounts," Bhakta's complaint reads.
Related: Apple Faces Class Action Lawsuit Over iCloud's Alleged 'Enormous Structural Advantage'
Regardless of whether Apple owns the device or account or if the employee opts to use their own iPhones or iCloud accounts, Apple allegedly collects and uses their personal data — even when the employee isn't working.
"Apple can engage in physical, video, and electronic surveillance," per Bhakta's complaint. It can also "search both Apple and non-Apple devices and other property," even if the employee is in a home office.
The complaint further calls Apple's ecosystem "a prison yard… where employees, both on and off duty, are ever subject to Apple's all-seeing eye."
Related: The U.S. Justice Department Is Suing Apple in a Groundbreaking iPhone Monopoly Lawsuit — Here's Why
Bhakta also accused Apple of suppressing speech by stopping him from talking about his work experiences on podcasts and telling him to remove information about his work on LinkedIn.
Apple told Semafor that it disagrees with the allegations in the lawsuit and that "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."
Personal privacy concerns have worried Apple employees for years. In 2021, The Verge reported that Apple asked employees to link their personal Apple IDs to their work accounts, causing personal files to end up on their work laptops.
Related: Apple Intelligence Is Finally Here. See What's Changing on Your iPhone and How to Download the New AI Features.