Apple threatens to fire employee for posting tech advice on TikTok

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
16 Aug 2022 15:10

Paris Campbell, who posts general tech advice without mentioning her background at Apple, is being threatened to get fired if she does not remove a video she posted on TikTok.

Apple's threat does not seem to be based on solid grounds and regulations.

Apple Inc is allegedly threatening to fire an employee who posted a TikTok giving basic iPhone security tips. Paris Campbell revealed, in another video, that Apple had accused her of breaching company policy by identifying herself as an Apple employee, and posting about Apple-related topics.

Apple's social media policy warns employees against posting about confidential information, customers, or colleagues - however, Apple's policies have no mention of barring employees from posting about technology in its entirety.

An internal document reads: “We want you to be yourself, but you should also be respectful in posts, tweets, and other online communications."

Campbell has been working for Apple for almost six years as a repair technician and is a single mother living in New York.

Last week, she responded to a TikTok user who complained that she'd lost her phone a Coachella, and then received threatening text messages that her personal information will be sold on the black market unless she dropped the phone from her Apple ID account.

“I can’t tell you exactly how I know this information, but I can tell you that for the last six years, I’ve been a certified hardware engineer for a certain company that likes to talk about fruit,” Campbell said in her response video, warning the user not to succumb to the blackmailing. “Your phone is actually useless to them, and you’re the only person that can save them, and I suggest that you don’t.”

The video garnered five million views in 24 hours. On Friday, Campbell received a call from a manager, telling her to remove the video or else she will be subject to disciplinary action, which may end in termination.

She asked what would happen if she left the video up, to which the manager responded that he would get back to her later on, reiterating the threat of punishment or termination. However, he so far has not.

On the weekend, the technician posted another video, called "dear Apple," where she actually revealed that she's an Apple employee and she was waiting for the administration's decision.

“I’ve never actually identified myself as an Apple employee until this video,” she said. “Funny thing is, though, after reviewing the social media policies... nowhere does it say I can’t identify myself as an Apple employee publicly, just that I shouldn’t do so in a way that makes the company look bad.”

“I find Apple’s response to be directly in contrast to how we portray ourselves as a company in terms of telling people to think different, innovate, and come up with creative solutions,” she says in an interview with The Verge. “I don’t just have all this Apple knowledge because I work for Apple. I come to this knowledge because I have a long technical education and history. That’s why they hired me.”

Campbell currently has 439,000 followers on TikTok.