Bizarre reason why Apple doesn’t prosecute factory workers who leak iPhone secrets
Over the past few years, Apple has been having a hard time keeping its upcoming products under wraps. These components or casing for Apple’s upcoming iPhones have a tendency for leaking and more often than not, it is because someone from Apple’s assembly plant in China managed to sneak it out. And you will be surprised to know, that those who have been caught, surprisingly not much is done to them by way of prosecution.
Though it may appear that Apple doesn’t take these leaks seriously, this is actually quite contrary to the same. In fact, Apple has formed a New Product Security Team (NPS) a collective of individuals that are dedicated to stopping these leaks, as per a report by The Information.
The report suggests that when pictures of an unreleased iPhones or iPads appear online, the NPS is quick to work and they are said to be great at tracking down the sources of these leaks. As an example, when over 180 casings were stolen off the then-unreleased iPhone 5C appeared on the black market, Apple found and purchased all of them.
There is absolutely no police involved. After the NPS identifies which worker stole Apple’s property, and reveal the company’s secret to the world, authorities like the police rarely arrest the culprit. The bizarre reason for this is because such an action would receive too much attention.
If Apple called the police, it would have to confirm the leaked information of an upcoming product being absolutely true. However, before that, it is merely a rumour.
As per a report by CultofMac, “Also, Apple would need to provide Chinese police detailed information on its unannounced product as evidence to be used against the thief. This would have to happen at a time that the company is trying to keep that device a secret. So the person who absconded with the components simply gets charged the parts’ street value. Apple can’t even fire them if they work for one of the myriad third-party Asian parts suppliers. (Of course, Cupertino surely asks the employer to sack the offender.”
This is probably the reason why we already have so much information about Apple’s upcoming iPhone even though its launch is believed to take place in September.
