An Apple employee has sued the company, alleging it improperly requires access to personal data that employees store on the tech behemoth's iCloud.
The lawsuit, filed by Amar Bhakta, who has worked in advertising technology for Apple since 2020, also alleges the company's policies illegally restrict discussions about wages and working conditions among workers.
While Apple provides employees with iPhones and other equipment, it is common for employees to use their own devices or to link company-issued products to their personal iCloud accounts, according to the lawsuit. When they do so, the lawsuit alleges, Apple demands as part of its terms of employment that employees allow the company to install software that makes it possible to search a device or iCloud account. In addition, the company "actively discourages" the use of work-only iCloud accounts, the lawsuit said.
According to the lawsuit, Apple forbade Bhakta from speaking publicly about his work in digital advertising and required him to remove information about his work from his LinkedIn profile.