Apple Is Spying On Its Employees' Devices & Restricting Pay Discussions? Here's What Lawsuit Claims

Amar Bhakta, a digital advertising employee at Apple since 2020, alleges the company mandates the installation of software on personal devices used for work.

Apple has refuted the allegations, stating that the claims are baseless.

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Apple is under fire in a new lawsuit accusing the tech giant of monitoring employees' personal devices and accounts, while allegedly restricting discussions about pay and workplace conditions. The legal action, filed by employee Amar Bhakta in a California court on Sunday, claims Apple enforces invasive policies that infringe on worker rights, as reported by Reuters.

What Did The Lawsuit State?

Bhakta, a digital advertising employee at Apple since 2020, alleges the company mandates the installation of software on personal devices used for work. This software reportedly grants Apple access to sensitive personal data, including emails, photos, health information, and smart home configurations.

The lawsuit also contends that Apple's confidentiality rules suppress legally protected whistleblowing and open discussions about workplace conditions. Bhakta claims he was prevented from discussing his job on podcasts and told to remove details about his work from his LinkedIn profile.

"Apple's surveillance policies and practices chill, and thus also unlawfully restrain, employee whistleblowing, competition, freedom of employee movement in the job market, and freedom of speech," the lawsuit reportedly states.

How Did Apple Respond?

Apple has refuted the allegations, stating that the claims are baseless. A company spokesperson emphasised that employees are regularly trained on their rights to discuss workplace conditions and highlighted Apple's focus on innovation and customer service.

"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 iPhone maker said.

The lawsuit arrives amid broader scrutiny of Apple’s workplace practices. Bhakta's lawyers also represent clients in a separate case accusing Apple of gender pay disparities in its engineering and marketing teams. Meanwhile, the company is grappling with labour board complaints alleging it discouraged employees from addressing issues like pay inequality and discrimination through restrictions on social media and internal communication tools.

Filed under a California law enabling employees to sue on behalf of the state, the case underscores growing legal challenges for Apple, which has consistently denied any misconduct.