Lawsuit Claims Apple Policies Violate Employee Privacy and Employment Rights

In Bhakta v. Apple, Inc., filed in California state court, Apple employee Amar Bhakta accuses the tech giant of violating workers’ privacy and employment rights through policies enabling surveillance of personal iCloud accounts and non-work devices.

Reed Albergotti writes in Semafor that the complaint alleges that Apple’s employment practices unlawfully intertwine employees’ personal and professional lives, constituting violations of California labor laws. Bhakta seeks remedies under the California Private Attorneys General Act, potentially exposing Apple to significant penalties if found liable.

“For Apple employees, the Apple ecosystem is not a walled garden. It is a prison yard. A panopticon where employees, both on and off duty, are subject to Apple’s all-seeing eye,” the lawsuit says.

Bhakta, employed in Apple’s advertising technology division since 2020, claims the company’s privacy practices adversely affected his professional opportunities and violated his personal rights. Apple allegedly prohibited him from public speaking on industry topics and compelled him to sanitize his LinkedIn profile.

Bhakta highlights Apple’s policy of mandating the use of Apple-made devices and personal iCloud accounts for work, arguing that these practices grant the company undue access to employees’ private data, including photos, emails, and real-time location.

Apple has denied the allegations, asserting that its conduct complies with legal standards and supports employees’ rights to discuss workplace conditions. The case is pending.

The lawyers representing the plaintiff have filed several high-profile lawsuits that target employment policies in large technology companies. One of them, Jahan Sagafi, represented the former Uber employee who drew attention to sexual harassment in the tech industry. That case became a class action that Uber settled.