Apple Allegedly Threatens To Fire Employee Who Gave Security Advice In TikTok Video

Apple has allegedly threatened to fire an employee who posted a TikTok video wherein she gave advice regarding iPhone security. The employee said she was told by the tech giant that there was a breach in company policy when she supposedly identified herself as an Apple employee.

Paris Campbell, whose iPhone security advice video on TikTok garnered millions of views, said in a video posted on her TikTok account over the weekend that she was still waiting for an update on whether she would be fired or not, The Verge reported. Campbell noted that she "never actually identified" herself "as an Apple employee until this video."

Campbell further revealed that she reviewed Apple's social media policies where she found that "nowhere does it say I can't identify myself as an Apple employee publicly, just that I shouldn't do so in a way that makes the company look bad."

In Campbell's viral Tiktok video, she gave advice to a user who revealed that she lost her iPhone at Coachella and received threatening messages about her selling her information. "I can't tell you exactly how I know this information, but I can tell you that for the last six years, I've been a certified hardware engineer for a certain company that likes to talk about fruit. Campbell then told the user that her lost "phone is actually useless to them, and you're the only person that can save them, and I suggest that you don't."

An internal document seen by The Verge noted that the iPhone maker wants its employees to be themselves, "but you should also be respectful in posts, tweets, and other online communications."

Campbell told The Verge that she finds Apple's response to her viral TikTok video "directly in contrast to how we portray ourselves as a company in terms of telling people to think different, innovate, and come up with creative solutions." She added that her technical knowledge didn't come solely from working with Apple. "I come to this knowledge because I have a long technical education and history. That's why they hired me."

News about Campbell's experience after her video went viral came about two weeks after YouTuber and former Apple employee Mark Rober revealed that he was told by the company after joining the team that he should stop making YouTube videos. At that time, Rober had 250,000 subscribers.

Rober said he agreed with Apple that if he continues to make YouTube videos while working with the company, he won't mention his employment with the tech giant.

Last year, the former program manager for Apple Maps, Janneke Parrish, revealed that she was fired by the company.

Parrish said she was told that the reason for her removal was that she removed files from her company computer and phone before surrendering them for examination, the New York Times reported. Parrish said the files she deleted contained personal information, adding that she believes she was fired in retaliation for her contribution to #AppleToo, an internal activist movement at the company.

Also last year, some Apple employees spoke out about the alleged "unrest" within the workplace as the company's secretive culture, which was meant to prevent product leaks, had at times discouraged employees to raise other issues like wage disparity and harassment.