The ruling alleges that Apple violated US legal guidelines for hard work by warning employees not to disclose proprietary company information. In 2021, Tim Cook reportedly sent an email stating that the people who leaked Apple's proprietary information (product IP or assembly information) had nothing to do with the company. Cook also threatened that Apple would do whatever it took to find the culprits.
“I want to reassure you that we are doing everything in our power to identify those who leaked. As you know, we do not tolerate disclosures of confidential information, whether it’s product I.P. or the details of a confidential meeting. We know that the leakers constitute a small number of people. We also know that people who leak confidential information do not belong here.”
As you can imagine, the emails were sent to the internet to prevent leaks from Apple. It has also been found that sending such messages violates US labor laws.
Here's why.
NLRB: Sending anti-leak emails is a violation of labor laws.
According to the National Labor Relations Board, Apple's Data Breach Prevention Policy may prevent, restrict, or enhance employees' labor rights.
Former Apple CTO Ashley Gjovic has filed a lawsuit against the NLRB while filing a lawsuit against Apple. In the lawsuit, she claimed the emails included a series of instructions from Apple's employee handbook, promising to punish leaks that violated federal law. The National Labor Relations Board considered these allegations well-founded. Additionally, the Bloomberg report said the agency plans to sue Apple if the company fails to reach an agreement.
The NLRB cannot act alone to penalize non-compliant companies. However, she may file a complaint. As a result, an administrative or federal judge may review your application and change the policy.
