Apple sacks iPhone X engineer after daughter posts hands-on video to YouTube

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  • Reply 21 of 286
    bb-15bb-15 Posts: 283member
     
    Apple's strict NDA policy is in place not only to ensure the security of proprietary technology, but also for employee safety...

    The device in question was an internal development unit that carried sensitive information like employee QR codes, product codenames and internal software...
    * Lots of jobs allow employees to take company files/data home on mobile computing devices.
    - Those company files/data can have very sensitive information including confidential code numbers (like Social Security #s).
    * No one should ever be allowed to release certain sensitive/confidential information publicly on the internet. 
    * An employee (and I've been in these kinds of jobs) should always guard against having their kids use company computing devices which have confidential files/data.

    * Someone who lets their kids play with company computer devices and post YouTube videos of sensitive data should be fired.

    * As for this iPhone X situation, this employee is non union and he lives in California.
    California is an at will hire state. Unless this employee had a special contract which prevented firing and overruled the NDA (which I doubt), then imo he would have a very weak case for wrongful termination.
    edited October 2017 watto_cobrabaconstangkseclongpathradarthekatjony0lukei
  • Reply 22 of 286
    Apple, I Disagree with this decision. Firing is extreme. It is not correct.
    Do something wrong, get punished. Enough fucking mollycoddling in this society.
    watto_cobraking editor the grateRonnnieOhodarnetmagemacseekermagman1979SpamSandwichbaconstangsandor
  • Reply 23 of 286
    jd_in_sbjd_in_sb Posts: 1,600member
    A reasonable person might ask how much it would have really cost Apple to ensure that phones could not film without first obtaining a code number or other authorization.
    Huh? The iPhone X being used to film something is not the issue. It being the subject of a film is the controversy here. Codes and authorization built into the pre-release iPhone X to prevent it from filming would not stop the girl from pulling out her personal iPhone and filming the screen of the pre-release iPhone X. 
    edited October 2017 watto_cobrabshanktycho_macusernetmagemagman1979dysamoriakingofsomewherehotjony0
  • Reply 24 of 286
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    Did the person who lost an iPhone 4 at a bar months before it was to be unveiled get fired?
    How about the person that uploaded the HomePod firmware that contained data on other unreleased Apple products?
    I think the person that uploaded the iOS 11 GM was a disgruntled employee, and while that part can't wholly be Apple's fault it's certainly Apple's fault for allowing an employee to add internet-facing files to their servers with secret URLs. They really need better security and likely a two-key system for uploading any new content, which would also have likely saved them from the HomePod firmware debacle.

    avon b7 said:
    From the information presented, I think the decision was harsh but perhaps there is more context that hasn't come out yet.
    What about the information already presented in the article strikes you as this move on Apple's part being 'harsh'?
    Clearly he referring to the engineer being fired. I agree that it appears harsh.

    There's literally no additional information to be had from this child's iPhone X video. Let's keep in mind that it was done the week of pre-orders and about 6 weeks after the device was already demoed in vivid detail by Apple. Based on the information presented I can't imagine firing this engineer over this one issue. If you had said, "Apple has a lot more information than we do and they felt it necessary to fire the engineer so who are we to say that they are wrong. It's their company and it's likely they didn't break any laws with letting the engineer go," that would be a very different response while still agreeing with Apple's firing of the employee. Instead you made a draconian implication that rules need to followed to the letter, that there's not room for gray areas or conscious consideration of the scope of an offense, and that punishments should be as brutal as possible in your initial comment. Maybe there were other circumstances, like other lapses I judgement which made this a final strike against him, but you made zero indication that this might simply be the final straw on the camel's back in your original comment. I can't agree with such despotic ways of thinking.
    edited October 2017 apple jockeyavon b7dysamoria
  • Reply 25 of 286
    avon b7 said:
    From the information presented, I think the decision was harsh but perhaps there is more context that hasn't come out yet.
    There goes the college fund.
    tallest skilhcrefugee
  • Reply 26 of 286
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    It’s unfortunate but he signed a NDA. He’ll find another job. 
    watto_cobrabaconstangarlomedia
  • Reply 27 of 286
    eriamjh said:
    Apple, I Disagree with this decision. 

    Firing is extreme. 

    It is not correct.


    His kid should not have even seen, much less touched the phone.  

    Fire him.  He broke the NDA and showed extreme contempt for Apple's policy.  

    It completely correct and legal.   
    I agree. The firing was appropriate.
    watto_cobrahodarmagman1979baconstang
  • Reply 28 of 286
    bshankbshank Posts: 255member
    rufwork said:
    Wow, um, not the best job taking a modicum of responsibility there. “I’ve apologized to my father, and should have known better,” is probably appropriate.

    Wow. 
     I’m prone to think she had some motivation to get popular by making that video and posting it on YouTube. This is very obviously committed among teenagers nowadays. Who doesn’t comprehend that?I would say it’s also bad judgment on the fathers part to allow that video knowing that as a possible motivation for making the video the first place, as many teens wrong mindedly would try to do.  It wasn’t “just a little innocent desire to make YouTube videos.” Because it’s on Apple campus they cannot just ignore this video as it may likely appear as an Apple promoted part of their marketing, and the media goes berserk. Her motivation is not just a little in content thing, and the consequences on this rift in judgment are not a small little thing for Apple either
    edited October 2017 watto_cobra
  • Reply 29 of 286
    Of course, I am not privy to the details of the fathers error beyond the article. But, all parties could come out ahead by making this incident a teachable moment where this apparently well respected employee could continue in some capacity at Apple. All employees, management and the public in general would benefit from witnessing Apple again as an entity with a compassionate corporate ethos and yet would reaffirm and strengthen their policy against this breach internally.  Being that it is a public problem now, the family is contrite, remorseful and apologetic and are still clearly Apple boosters, all parties can gain in an Apple PR sensitive move. The Public beyond Apple will be watching this in hopes of slinging arrows at Apple, as always.
    This is a teachable moment.  The lesson is: If you break the rules, you will suffer the consequences.  Apple has set a good example as an employer by enforcing the rules.  It may seem harsh to you, but it is completely fair.  The employee failed to keep the agreement.  Apple is keeping the agreement. 
    watto_cobranetmagemagman1979baconstangsandorksecradarthekatpscooter63jony0lukei
  • Reply 30 of 286
    Why is no one asking "How did she unlock the phone?" It's an employee phone, it is locked with facial recognition and a passcode. In order to use the phone she would need dad to use his face or give her the lock passcode. Dad knew this was going on. That is why he was fired.
    bshankjon.pdxhodarsandorradarthekatpscooter63jony0
  • Reply 31 of 286
    Apple, I Disagree with this decision. 

    Firing is extreme. 

    It is not correct.


    Perhaps you should investigate what a non-disclosure agreement actually is. 
    hodarnetmagemagman1979baconstangmacxpressradarthekatpscooter63bigbillygoatgruffjony0
  • Reply 32 of 286
    By my take, this incident will require a more nuanced second act by Apple in response to the public criticism they may well now be in for because of this father and daughters misjudgments.
  • Reply 33 of 286
    Give me a break people -- not only did engineer dad allow video to be recorded of the unreleased iPhone X on the Apple Campus and in Caffe Macs, he even participated in the demos and handed it off to his daughter to use and show off some features! Jump to 2:09 to skip past her shopping vlog
    edited October 2017 StrangeDaysbshanknetmagemagman1979jahbladejony0
  • Reply 34 of 286
    tshapitshapi Posts: 369member
    it’s sad he lost his job, but Companies create NDA’s for a reason.  He unfortunately violated his.  Apple can’t afford to tolerate that.  The next person who gets fired because of there nda can sue and use this person as a possible example. 

    hodarbaconstangradarthekatbigbillygoatgruff
  • Reply 35 of 286
    bshankbshank Posts: 255member
    smaffei said:
    Why is no one asking "How did she unlock the phone?" It's an employee phone, it is locked with facial recognition and a passcode. In order to use the phone she would need dad to use his face or give her the lock passcode. Dad knew this was going on. That is why he was fired.
    Exactly!
    radarthekatjony0
  • Reply 36 of 286
    1) How is this too harsh from Apple? Doesn’t he and she realize the risk? It’s one thing to publish a leal (where the source is “unknown”), but if you’re an Apple engineer, or you’re the relative of one, you make it very easy for the to trace it back.
    2) Ok, the father must take responsibility, but why is SHE not taking any? It’s her in the video. For all we know, she took the phone without her father knowing and recorded it on campus. Even if he let her borrow it and record, SHE has plenty of responsibility to take, as well.
  • Reply 37 of 286
    The security breach of the century right here.

    Good job destroying the guys life Apple.
  • Reply 38 of 286
    bb-15bb-15 Posts: 283member
    By my take, this incident will require a more nuanced second act by Apple in response to the public criticism they may well now be in for because of this father and daughters misjudgments.
    Some people hate Apple. There is nothing that can be done about that even when Apple does something reasonable.

    An example of the double standard is where Tesla can fire hundreds of employees (and some of them claimed it was unfair).
    The overall reaction on the web has been to support Tesla.

    But to part of the public Apple is always wrong.
    An Apple employee let his daughter not only use a preproduciton iPhone X but allowed her to post a video of it and release sensitive/confidential data to the public.
    The reaction of those who strongly dislike Apple of course will be; Apple should not fire the guy even when the cause to do so is clear. 
    edited October 2017 apple jockeyStrangeDayshodarnetmagemacseekermagman1979baconstangradarthekatmobiusjony0
  • Reply 39 of 286
    What did she show in the video that wasn't already shown in the keynote?
  • Reply 40 of 286
    A contractual agreement was violated. His job was contingent with compliance with the terms of that contract. What would you imagine the contract calls for as penalty for breach of said contract other than dismissal, washing his mouth out with soap?!? Of course he was fired. What I don’t see is the daughter taking adequate responsibility for her part in getting her old man canned.
    netmagemagman1979baconstang
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