TECH NEWS – A former employee of the company has sued the Cupertino-based company, claiming that her privacy rights were violated by Apple…
Apple often points out how it protects user data, even with the advent of Apple Intelligence. While the tech community acknowledges Apple’s initiatives, a former employee has sued the company for the opposite, for monitoring him outside of work. This raises questions about the extent to which employers should be allowed to be present on employees’ devices, and whether a company can have a say in an employee’s behavior.
Semafor reported that the lawsuit was filed in California on Sunday. The accusation was that Apple uses physical, video and electronic surveillance, which would be understandable in the workplace, but that the company has used it outside of the workplace. The lawsuit alleges that Apple’s employment policies are intrusive and violate California law because they seriously infringe on employees’ right to privacy.
Amar Bhakta, the plaintiff, has been a member of Apple’s advertising technology department since 2020. In the lawsuit, he argues that Apple restricted the employee from participating in public discussions on digital advertising forums and even forced him to make some changes to his LinkedIn profile to include information about his job. Bhakta even claims in the lawsuit that Apple has deprived him of potential opportunities by restricting his outside professional involvement. According to him, the company requires all employees to use only Apple devices at work, but because the devices are limited, some resort to using their own devices. If you use personal devices or your iCloud account for work, the company reportedly reviews everything as part of its requirements.
Apple has denied all allegations against it, stressing its commitment to protecting workers’ rights and fostering a positive work environment. Whether Apple’s policies overstep legal boundaries will be determined by the fate of the case, but this case also highlights the blurred lines between privacy policies and individual career opportunities.
The Big Apple, if Big Brother is taken…
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