Let’s step back from the iPhone leak suicide for a minute and just think about the basics of what happened. A phone was lost. A guy was tortured. A guy killed himself or something. Over a fucking phone.
It may have been a very special phone, and it may have been a phone that would have cost a company and its shareholders maybe upwards of billions of theoretical dollars if it had leaked out into a competitor’s hands, but really, it’s a phone. Is it worth a life? No. I think this secrecy thing has gone far enough. Especially since nothing stays unleaked ever anymore!
What caused the death? An overzealous security official who used “interrogation methods” to find the phone. A fucking phone. Going to extremes like putting the worker into solitary confinement, searching his house (illegally? legally?) and possibly beating him isn’t the way to go about things. I know, the employer probably put a lot of pressure on the security chief to find that phone—maybe even threatening the chief himself with termination if the missing device wasn’t found—but he’s a grown man. He can make his own decisions about right and wrong. Torturing a guy over a phone is not right. It’s just a job. Is it worth a life? No.
But of course the blame doesn’t lie only with the security guard. The company Foxconn and its parent company Hon Hai aren’t pillars of the Chinese community when it comes to placing the welfare of its employees above how much yuan they squeeze out of them. Foxconn admitted to breaking Chinese labour laws. CHINESE labour laws. If they don’t care about their workers under normal, everyday circumstances, how much do you think they’ll value a man’s welfare if they think a little roughing up will save a multi-million dollar contract and secure future dealings with Apple? It’s just money. Is it worth a life? No.
And was this method of interrogation even such a smart idea in the first place? If you’re just so compelled to torture someone (which you shouldn’t be) don’t do it over shit that would be leaked three months down the road anyhow. Think about the last two years: do you remember any Apple product that hasn’t had spy shots leaked beforehand that turned out to be real? It’s now become inevitable. The CIA doesn’t torture someone to stop the sun from coming up. That’s fucking retarded.
As for Apple, are they blameless in this? No, of course not. They know exactly what kind of people they’re dealing with. Remember that Chinese labour law story linked above? Apple sent a team to investigate Foxconn before the manufacturer admitted to wrongdoings, yet found nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, you could come to the conclusion that having an insanely locked-down company do your manufacturing is the situation Apple prefers, so they can use fear and intimidation tactics to maintain their culture of secrecy. But really, it’s just a product. Is it worth a life? No.
This may have started about a missing phone, but in the end, it all boils down to being about money. Someone was indirectly killed, through a sequence of sad and unfortunate events, over money. You know who kills for money? Criminals. So please, Apple, stop doing business with criminals. And get your own priorities straight. A phone is not worth dying, or killing, over. [iPhone leak suicide coverage @ Giz]
Bennish
July 24, 2009 at 8:37 AM
Apple’s culture of secrecy shares a huge amount of blame here. And the culture of secrecy stems almost directly from ONE MAN – their illustrious leader.
Foxconn, like many other OEMs, of course has security, and it’s definitely over the top and should be investigated, whether Apple or not. But do you think this would’ve happened over a Dell laptop? Or any other of the *normal-level security* products? It happened over one of the MOST secretive products from the MOST secretive company.
Foxconn was overly-cautious BECAUSE OF THEIR CLIENT.
Can anyone honestly tell me that if Mr. Jobs and co weren’t so ridiculously and callously security-conscious and ego-driven, this would still have happened?? This man would probably still be alive.
Report PermalinkNathan
July 24, 2009 at 10:55 AM
I think its pretty harsh to completely blame apple. Yes they do have a culture of secrecy but consumers love that and it works for them – you only have to look at Apples profit this year compared to Microsofts to show this.
Usually there are underlying issues with people that commit suicide (e.g. mental issues such as depression). Remember this story is coming from the extremely media shy/pro censorship country of China, then being blasted around the world through mainstream media.
I think it would be a good thing if people were subjective in their approach this story. Not taking away the fact that this is extremely sad and I feel sorry for the guy and his family.
Report PermalinkPinballLes
July 24, 2009 at 1:29 PM
So you’re claiming it is okay for someone to die as long they died because of something the “market” loves and because a company made money.
Screwed up way of thinking. Is there a minimum level of profit that has to be made before it’s okay for someone to die?
Yeah usually there are underlying issues as to why people commit suicide, such as depression. The environment where you spend the majority of your time (i.e. work) can cause you to be depressed (especially if your company treats you like shit). Shame can also lead to depression. So if you’re tortured for leaking a phone, you’re probably going to be pretty depressed and ashamed about it, which could cause you to feel that committing suicide is the only solution.
Report Permalinkboc
July 24, 2009 at 3:38 PM
To say that this was all over a phone is oversimplifying things. In this instance it was indeed a phone, but, it could have just as easily been a TV, a long-range missle, or a cure for cancer.
It would have been any company’s contractual obligation to make sure that items the client does not yet want publicly disclosed stay that way. I am making the assumption that such clauses exist in this case.
In the event that it does reach the public they would need to provide the client an explanation of how it happened and detail what actions they’ve taken to resolve the situation and make sure it doesn’t happen again and any compensation required.
Blaming Apple’s secrecy as being one of the sources of the problem? That’s a bit rich. I don’t recall the last time Apple pushed one of their employees to suicide for any of the numerous leaks that always spill forth.
Unfortunately as you stated it’s the poor labour laws and working culture/conditions in China that are primarily responsible for this sad event. Lots of people die every day from poor working environments around the world. Diamond mining in the Ivory Coast is a classic example.
Consumers on the whole are either ignorant about such situations or apathetic too it. Shareholders don’t care unless it affects their investment. Companies won’t act unless a cost-benefit analysis can be done on it.
It’s not going to change any time soon either. Change will only happen if there is prolonged outrage by consumers, business interests, and the global community. Look at the world around you, think it’ll happen? Not for “a guy who died over a *fucking phone*”.
The previous posts on this event were at least a little informative. This post is just a lot of hot air. How about writing an expose on working conditions and abuses of all the major technology companies instead. That would be fascinating and I’m sure eye-opening read to many.
Report PermalinkBennish
July 27, 2009 at 12:39 PM
So you think it’s just as likely the guy would feel the same pressure about a missing Dell netbook as an iphone?
Which company do you think would be pressuring the man’s employer the most?
I love how people read things. I don’t recall saying apple pressured the man. I recall saying apple actively pressures the COMPANY. What the company did isn’t apple’s fault. But you have to admit, there’s something in it.
How much stress are the Foxconn employees working on NON-apple products feeling? I’m sure it’s still unacceptable, but I’m certain it’s not as much.
Report PermalinkBennish
July 27, 2009 at 12:40 PM
Another interesting thing of note. Replace ‘iPhone’ with ‘Zune’ or ‘Windows Mobile’ and we’d all be lynching Microsoft employees.
Funny how bias works.
Report Permalinkboc
July 27, 2009 at 6:53 PM
Do people think if a prototype of Dell’s latest unannounced gadget was lost that Dell would just say, “Oh well, shit happens.”
Corporate contracts (still making assumptions on the details of such a contract) are loaded with legal weapons that clients and producers can and do use when any number of events happen.
Such as, “In the event CUSTOMER product X is lost or stolen before product X is received by CUSTOMER from PRODUCER, PRODUCER shall do Y.” Y being anything from financial compensation, a formal apology, or a forensic analysis and report.
Is Apple doing something bad by exercising their legal options? Apple wouldn’t even have to apply any real pressure personally. They’d make a call to their legal department who would probably shoot of an email that says, “Please refer to section 30.4a of our contract.”
I don’t get how people are talking about the pressure these workers are under based on what product line they’re on. They’re just doing their jobs. They’re being paid to put bits of metal and plastic together. If they do their jobs well what pressure is there?
The kind of pressure that’s being implied on this site is that of a brand new employee showing up for his first day at work wetting his pants because he’s just been told he’ll be assigned to the iPhone product line.
I’m sure most of the workers will be more concerned about health and safety than whether a bit of plastic belongs to Dell or Apple.
The only thing I see negative about Apple in regards to this situation is their decision to continue working with Foxconn.
Report PermalinkBennish
July 28, 2009 at 8:35 AM
I remain convinced that if it was a NON apple product, foxconn would not have overreacted as much. That’s all I’m saying.
Report PermalinkMarisa Armstrong
August 8, 2009 at 10:05 AM
well maybe it wasn’t just because of the phone. maybe his life was so bad that he felt like he had no other choice. maybe he had it so bad that something as simple as losing a phone drove him over the edge. so before you go judging people try to keep that in mind.
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