Looks like Apple’s in a spot of trouble with the law, and for good reason. Recent reports reveal some of Apple’s lies about using NDAs (non-disclosure agreements) to hide incriminating information.
Remember when Apple was in the news for the AppleToo movement? The company was recently in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, with employees raising concerns about discriminatory pay gaps. Independently conducted internal employee surveys revealed that these concerns weren’t unwarranted, and that gender-based pay discrepancies did indeed exist.
Naturally, Apple’s next move was to ban these internal surveys. Still, some employees went ahead. There were over 500 reports of “racism, sexism, discrimination, retaliation, bullying, sexual and other forms of harassment, and sexual assault”. These were then put forward by Apple employees to the US Labour Board.
Apple’s Lies About Using NDAs
Using non-disclosure agreements to hide a company’s faults and shortcomings from investors, customers, and the general public is illegal in some cases. As per the Washington Post, eight state treasurers have written to the US Security and Exchange Commission to look into the matter and investigate Apple’s apparent falsehood in this regard.
Apple has repeatedly said they do not use concealment clauses to hide information in such instances. However, according to the Washington Post, whistleblower Ifeoma Ozoma said Apple has “straight out lied” to federal regulators and investors.
A complaint with the SEC and the NLRB (National Labour Regulatory Board) by a former Apple employee also mentions the company’s stance on NDAs. California State has banned NDAs on matters relating to unlawful practices by a company, and seven other states are urging the Security and Exchange board to extend the NDA ban all over the US.
It’ll be interesting to see how this develops, and we’ll keep you updated. What do you think about Apple’s lies about using NDAs, potential or not?
