Skip to main content

Apple supplier responsibility report addresses Foxconn suicides, underage workers

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Apple’s industrial operations overseas are notorious for their poor conditions, a fact that the company has openly acknowledged in its own Supplier Responsibility progress report, released Monday. In the report, Apple addressed the controversy surrounding its underage employees, and working conditions and suicides. The company audited 127 worldwide production facilities in the last three years, nearly all of which were the first time the locations had been investigated by Apple authorities.

According to the progress report, Apple found that 49 workers under the age of 16 were employed at its facilities. One particular location was responsible for 42 of those hires, and because “management [at the location] had chosen to overlook the issue and was not committed to addressing the problem,” Apple terminated its business there.

The report found that some of this child labor was caused by “unsophisticated” methods for verifying age, and instituted further training and consulting to amend the issue. However, it wasn’t entirely caused by naivety: In the extreme case concerning 42 child workers, a vocational school had purposefully forged student IDs and “threatened retaliation against students” who did not cooperate. Apple has reported the school to the Chinese government and also claims it has aggressively attempted to return underage workers to their families and education. The facility guilty of employing the children is required to pay for these expenses.

While combating illegal child labor is commendable, Apple still had to address the damage surrounding its Foxconn facility. The controversy began in 2009 when an employee committed suicide after losing a prototype fourth-generation iPhone. It was, unfortunately, not the last incident: 12 workers took their lives and one died of exhaustion after a 34-hour shift. According to the report, COO Tim Cook and other Apple execs, accompanied by Chinese suicide prevention specialists, traveled to Foxconn to “better understand the conditions at the site.” The document also states that Apple commends some of Foxconn’s efforts, including: “hiring a large number of psychological counselors, establishing a 24-hour care center, and even attaching large nets to the factory buildings to prevent impulsive suicides.”

Apple reports that Foxconn is taking measures to improve employee conditions and monitor mental health. Apple claims it will continue working (read: checking up on) Foxconn.

The report also states that all employees poisoned by toxic chemicals at its Wintek facility have been “treated successfully” and Apple continues to monitor their health until they are fully recuperated. Most of the affected workers are back at the facility.

Above all, the progress report certifies that Apple will be holding guilty parties responsible for their actions. How will it be doing this? From the sounds of it, facilities can expect the strict audits to continue, and will feel an increased presence from NGOs Apple will be collaborating with. The company also claims it wants to further empower individual workers, informing them of labor laws and their own rights.

Topics
Molly McHugh
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Before coming to Digital Trends, Molly worked as a freelance writer, occasional photographer, and general technical lackey…
Best color laser printers for 2024: tested and reviewed
A Brother printer on a counter in front of a brick wall.

The best color laser printers can be a great investment, saving you quite a bit of time and money. For shoppers worried about the long-term ink costs, you'll find color laser printers surprisingly affordable. Laser printers use toner, which lasts a very long time, delivering a low cost per page for monochrome documents and fast color prints. The best color laser printers offer quick performance and reliability to help keep your home office or small business productive.

If you need to scan documents for record-keeping and photo capture or want the convenience of a color copier, an all-in-one color laser printer is an essential tool for your small business or personal use. For a small added cost, you get expanded capabilities. That's why every model on this list is an all-in-one from the best printer brands.

Read more
The 5 best Wi-Fi adapters for PC in 2024
The Ugreen AC1300 Wi-Fi adapter in a desktop PC.

Whether you're designing it yourself or getting a pre-built PC, it can be easy to get a computer and realize that it doesn't have a native Wi-Fi adapter. Or, maybe it does, but you're internet speeds are getting faster, game downloads are getting bigger, you've already upgraded your router and need an adapter to match your newfound power requirements. No matter the situation, an external Wi-Fi adapter that you can add to your PC setup or even laptop setup will be worth your time. Here, we investigate the best Wi-Fi adapters for PC use. Most are incredibly affordable and just snap into a free USB port and start working.
The best Wi-Fi adapter for PC in 2024

Buy the

Read more
How to pin a website to the taskbar in Windows
A man sits, using a laptop running the Windows 11 operating system.

Windows includes many interesting tools, but if you’re like many people, more and more of your digital life is happening in your web browser and nowhere else. That being the case, you’ll want to keep your most important websites close at hand. The easiest way to access them in Windows is the Start menu and the taskbar, treating them more or less like programs in and of themselves.

Although easy overall, getting a website from your browser to your taskbar is slightly different depending on which browser you’re using.

Read more