The UK data watchdog plans to launch an investigation against Apple after a former female employee accused the tech giant of accessing employees’ iPhones through its Face ID feature.
After a former Apple A senior female engineer claims that Apple accessed employees’ smartphones using the Face ID feature, data watchdogs in the UK are launching an investigation into the public giant. Technology is based in Cupertino. Apple has been surrounded by controversy lately, with just a week ago a report highlighted that the App Store was testing a feature to allow developers to start charging users for increased fees. registration. Now, this latest issue is about Apple Face ID on iPhone.
Accuser Ashley Gjovik alleged in a complaint registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) that Apple fired her after she raised numerous concerns both internally and publicly. One of the main concerns she raised includes workplace safety. In her complaint, she said that the tech giant was “pressing its employees to participate in invasive data collection procedures, including ear/ear canal scans”.
UK poll: Former employee raises concerns about Apple Face ID privacy
According to TechCrunch reportBoth the UK ICO and the French Commission Nationale Informatique & Libertés (CNIL) have confirmed receipt of Gjovik’s complaint. An ICO spokesperson said, “We are aware of the issue and we will evaluate the information provided.” It seems very likely that Apple’s UK probe will hit the market soon.
Another major allegation made by Gjovik in the 54-page complaint of invasion of privacy is that Apple collected biometric data from its employees using an app called “Gobbler” (later known as “Gobbler”). is “Glimmer”). Apparently it was used as part of product development for Face ID. Gjovik claims that the app on employees’ iPhones “automatically takes photos/videos whenever they ‘think they see a face'”.
“Apple pressured employees to upload their ‘face data’ to Apple’s internal servers, take confidential photos and videos of employees, and tell employees that facial logs related to facial face is automatically uploaded from their iPhones on a daily basis,” she said, referring to her complaint, adding, “My open-ended questions include whether my personal data is backed up on the copy. employee iCloud backups, synced via iCloud and/or accessed/replicated by Apple’s corporate MDM records – or other Global Security monitoring of employee phones. also confused me that the app is taking pictures/recording videos without any notification (sound, signal, etc) which makes me think that Apple, if desired, could activate the device camera and follow me without my knowledge at any time as it is fine. I have spoken to other employees, including managers, with similar concerns.”
She also claims that after she raised employee privacy concerns internally last September, she was fired shortly after. Apple has yet to comment on these allegations or reports of a possible investigation into Apple UK.
Last year, Gjovik, along with another former employee, Cher Scarlett, co-founded a whistleblower campaign called #AppleToo.
