“It’s time to Think Different.”
This play on Apple’s famous tag line is a focal point of #AppleToo, a new website launched to allow current and former employees (full- or part-time in any segment of the organization) and those who worked for third-party companies a place to organize for fair and equitable labor practices.
“We are asking fellow Apple workers who want to see real change at Apple to share their stories. When our stories are collected and presented together, they help expose persistent patterns of racism, sexism, inequity, discrimination, intimidation, suppression, coercion, abuse, unfair punishment, and unchecked privilege.”
According to a report in The Verge, about 15 employees are involved, but the effort is receiving support from former employees, including Timnit Gebru, who worked for Apple before she went to Google. Gebru was subsequently pushed out of Google over a dispute about an AI research paper she coauthored. “I experienced so many egregious things when I was at Apple, and always wondered how they manage to get out of the spotlight,” Gebru told The Verge.
A Twitter account accompanying the website is also sharing stories from users identifying themselves as Apple workers. Apple and the organizers of #AppleToo did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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