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.

Recommended Videos

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.

Molly McHugh
Former Social Media/Web Editor
Before coming to Digital Trends, Molly worked as a freelance writer, occasional photographer, and general technical lackey…
Topics
A coding blunder just ruined a moment of joy for lottery winners
Eurojackpot lottery slips.

Imagine the joy of being notified of a huge lottery win. What would be the first thing you’d do? Get the champagne in? Book a fancy vacation? Call your boss and tell him where to go?

And then imagine being informed that the notification had, in fact, been sent in error. Well, you can always send the booze back and cancel the holiday, but trying to convince your boss that you were just joking ... well, that may be a bigger challenge.

Read more
This TP-Link Wi-Fi 6 router is 45% off in early Prime Day deal
The TP-Link AX1800 Archer AX21 Wi-FI 6 Router on a white background.

If you're planning to buy a new router to improve your home's Wi-Fi network, the good news is that you don't have to wait for Prime Day 2025 to take advantage of huge discounts on router deals from Amazon. Here's an excellent offer — the TP-Link Archer AX21 with an eye-catching 45% discount, which drops its price from $100 to just $55. The $45 in savings will only be available for a limited time though, so you better act fast and proceed with your purchase immediately as this early Prime Day deal may disappear at any moment.

Buy Now

Read more
Watch these AI humanoid robots play soccer like Mbappé … sort of
Humanoid robots playing soccer.

Watching these humanoid robots battle it out on the soccer field, you quickly realize that Kylian Mbappé and his fellow professionals really have little to worry about. At least, for now.

The footage (top) was captured last week in Beijing at the RoBoLeague World Robot Soccer League, China's first-ever three-on-three humanoid robot soccer league.

Read more