Apple is facing a new lawsuit alleging that the tech giant unlawfully monitors its employees’ personal devices and iCloud accounts, while also restricting them from discussing their pay and working conditions.
The complaint, filed in California state court on Sunday by Amar Bhakta, a digital advertising employee at Apple, claims that the company forces workers to install software on their personal devices, which allows Apple to access personal data such as email, photo libraries, health information, and even “smart home” data.
In addition to the surveillance allegations, the lawsuit asserts that Apple enforces strict confidentiality policies that prevent employees from discussing their working conditions, even with the media.
The complaint also argues that the company obstructs legally protected whistleblowing activities.
Bhakta, who has been employed by Apple since 2020, says he was prohibited from discussing his work on podcasts and was instructed to remove information related to his working conditions from his LinkedIn profile.
“Apple’s surveillance policies and practices chill, and thus unlawfully restrain, employee whistleblowing, competition, freedom of movement in the job market, and freedom of speech,” the lawsuit reads.
In response, Apple issued a statement denying the claims, stating that they lack merit. A company spokesperson emphasized that Apple trains its workers annually on their rights to discuss their working conditions.
“At Apple, we’re focused on creating the best products and services in the world and we work to protect the inventions our teams create for customers,” the company said.
Bhakta’s attorneys also represent two women who filed a lawsuit in June, accusing Apple of systematically underpaying female employees in its engineering, marketing, and AppleCare divisions. Apple has insisted it is committed to inclusion and pay equity.
Furthermore, Apple is currently facing at least three complaints from the U.S. National Labor Relations Board, which claim the company has unlawfully attempted to prevent employees from discussing issues such as gender discrimination and pay inequality, including by restricting the use of social media and workplace messaging tools like Slack. Apple has denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
The latest lawsuit was filed under a unique California law, allowing workers to sue employers on behalf of the state and keep 35% of any penalties that may be recovered.
