Apple has just fired Ashley Gjøvik, a senior engineer. The young woman is accused of having disclosed confidential information about the company. She claims that her dismissal is rather motivated by her crusade denouncing working conditions at Apple.
This Thursday, September 9, 2021, Apple fired Ashley Gjøvik, senior engineering manager, for allegedly disclosing confidential company information. The Californian giant does not detail what information was shared with individuals outside the company.
Ashley Gjøvik’s dismissal is part of a general policy of zero tolerance for leaks. Over the past few years, Apple has taken numerous measures to preserve the culture of secrecy which reigns in the company upstream of the release of its products. The brand wants to prevent design or novelties from filtering out before the announcement. In 2017, Tim Cook even created a team dedicated to the fight against industrial espionage with former members of the FBI, the NSA and the US secret service. More recently, Apple would have asked certain employees to wear a body camera (or bodycam).
Ashley Gjøvik accuses Apple of trying to cover up a scandal
However, Ashley Gjøvik assures that her dismissal has nothing to do with the disclosure of confidential data. For several months, the engineer has openly criticized how Apple handles harassment complaints At work. She says the company’s legal department would have requisitioned her smartphone for investigation without allowing her to erase private data, such as nude photos. It is assumed that Apple was looking for proof that the engineer was sharing sensitive data with others.
Ashley Gjøvik finally appealed to NLRB, the American authority in charge of labor law. On her Twitter account, she claimed that Apple put her on paid leave in response to her complaint. It turns out, however, that it was Ashley Gjøvik who asked for a period of extended paid leave. This is proven by documents provided by a former employee of the company, still on Twitter.
“When I started sharing my concerns about workplace safety in March, and almost immediately faced retaliation and intimidation, I started to prepare for something like this. . I am disappointed that a company that I have loved since I was a small child treats their employees this way ”, regrets Ashley Gjøvik on her Twitter account.
Also Read: Apple Says Leaks Are Harmful For Users
Contacted by The Verge, Josh Rosenstock, Apple spokesperson, said : “We are and always have been deeply committed to creating and maintaining a positive and inclusive work environment. We take all concerns seriously and thoroughly investigate each time a concern is raised and, out of respect for the privacy of those affected, we do not discuss specific employee issues ”.
Source: The Verge