Interview with Apple engineer Cher Scarlett, who has become the face of the #AppleToo movement, a group that wants to shed light on workplace issues at Apple
When Apple security engineer Cher Scarlett opened the anonymous worker forum Blind on Friday afternoon, she saw …
Protocol Anna Kramer
Related Coverage
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- AppleToo engineer target of online abuse, failed by HR AppleInsider · Malcolm Owen
- Apple engineer talks #AppleToo movement and response in new interview 9to5Mac · José Adorno
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- New #AppleToo movement drawing attention to racism, sexism, inequality inside Apple AppleInsider · Wesley Hilliard
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- The ‘#AppleToo’ campaign received ‘hundreds’ of stories from the company's retail staff, alleging harassment and discrimination. Insider · Martin Coulter
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- AppleToo Says It Received 500 Accounts of Harassment in 4 Days PCMag · Nathaniel Mott
- Look what Slack hath wrought at Apple Philip Elmer‑DeWitt · Philip Elmer-DeWitt
- The Information: How Slack has led to Apple's workplace issues becoming public 9to5Mac · Chance Miller
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- Apple's legendary workplace secrecy threatened by Slack AppleInsider · William Gallagher
- AppleToo has collected nearly 500 stories of workplace issues Protocol · Anna Kramer
Discussion
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@applelaborers
@applelaborers
on x
So far, we've received nearly 500 responses, and hundreds of stories of racism, sexism, discrimination, retaliation, bullying, sexual and other forms of harassment, and sexual assault that happened at the hands of a colleague off of campus. The main thread? Being ignored by HR.
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@amir
Amir Efrati
on x
When Silicon Valley employee activism arose, Apple wasn't part of it. But since 2019, 6% of Apple employees have joined its corporate Slack channels. That tiny crack in the spaceship of silence was all it took... https://www.theinformation.com/ ... @MarkDiStef @waynema
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@pkafka
Peter Kafka
on x
“Slack will replace email” turned out not to be true. “Slack will allow your employees to organize against management and/or snipe at each other” is a less attractive but more accurate pitch. https://twitter.com/...
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@meganmorrone
Megan Morrone
on x
NEW @cherthedev spoke to @anna_c_kramer about #AppleToo and the difference between revealing company secrets and exposing workplace harassment. via @protocol https://www.protocol.com/...
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@izmcm
Iza
on x
“Employees say there's a six percent wage gap between the salaries of men and women who responded to the survey” é sobre isto https://twitter.com/...
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@anna_c_kramer
Anna Kramer
on x
NEW: Inside Apple, conflict is roiling over the new #AppleToo movement. I talked with @cherthedev about what she's hoping @AppleLaborers will achieve, despite the people who hate them. https://www.protocol.com/...
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@lorenzofb
Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai
on x
NEW: Apple employees just launched a campaign to collect stories of abuse and injustice in the workplace. “We've exhausted all internal avenues. [...] Nothing has changed. It's time to Think Different.” https://www.vice.com/...
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@shiringhaffary
Shirin Ghaffary
on x
From the new Apple worker activism website: “We must work together, as colleagues - Corporate, AppleCare, and Retail; salaried and hourly; part-time and full-time - to demand systemic change in our work place.” https://twitter.com/...
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@evacide
Eva
on x
As a worker, there are two things you should know: HR is not on your side. Collective action is good. https://www.protocol.com/...
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@gartenberg
Michael Gartenberg
on x
“One Apple employee who spoke to The Verge said an Apple director discouraged employees from taking the survey” Who was the director? “director” is a relatively senior position at Apple but doesn't have much weight to influence policy like this. https://www.theverge.com/...
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@protocol
@protocol
on x
Lots of people inside Apple are furious that someone would share workplace issues publicly, and they're taking it out on the one woman who has become the public face of #AppleToo. https://www.protocol.com/...
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@code_cwa
Code-Cwa
on x
Reminder: HR is not your friend. Solidarity with all Apple workers speaking out against the horrific abuse they've experienced on the job.✊ https://twitter.com/...
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@tpoholmes
Tim Holmes
on x
@Gartenberg The issue is systemic abuse by Apple management over years and a complicit HR department and she's produced the evidence to prove it.
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@applememoirs
Annoyed Apple
on x
3. Everything now feels like a game-can't even give honest feedback anymore about things that aren't working. Can't question anything management says.
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@jannekeparrish
Janneke Parrish
on x
I am a program manager at #AppleMaps. I have been here for five years, and I have seen discrimination, sexism, racism, and retaliation. @Apple has done nothing about any of it. #AppleToo 1/
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@susanpotter
Susan Potter
on x
HR only ever mitigates the employer's risk, not employee's. https://twitter.com/...
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@jannekeparrish
Janneke Parrish
on x
They continued to try to fire them, and retaliated against me for reporting them. HR did nothing about either the retaliation or discrimination, not even after receiving dozens of reports from me and my colleagues. Instead, the manager was promoted. 3/
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@cherthedev
@cherthedev
on x
I've now been doxxed twice. Once by anonymous strangers on 4chan for writing about someone hoarding and spreading my revenge leaked nudes, and now by an anonymous colleague on Apple @ Blind for starting a pay transparency survey and whistle blowing alleged NLRB violations.
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@timnitgebru
Timnit Gebru
on x
“When Apple security engineer Cher Scarlett opened the anonymous worker forum Blind on Friday afternoon, she saw that one of the most popular posts accused her of ruining the company.” Yes the app “blind” built exclusively for racists & sexists for whom the norm is great. https:/…
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@fosspatents
Florian Mueller
on x
I have no idea about whether the first three accusations here against Apple are well-founded, but “retaliation” is something Epic Games has experienced. To be clear, I never experienced retaliation myself even after formally complaining about App Store monopoly abuse. https://twi…
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@dgorganize
Daniel Gross
on x
The wall of silence is falling. Let's make sure Apple workers are being heard. And that management knows that workers are being heard. https://twitter.com/...
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@jannekeparrish
Janneke Parrish
on x
One of my managers made it his absolute goal to fire an employee with a disability. They asked me to report everything they did wrong so they would have a case. I refused and reported it to HR. Nothing happened. 2/
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@jannekeparrish
Janneke Parrish
on x
Another of my managers called me “sweetie,” and decided my projects based on whether or not I had kids. When I was facing homophobia, the manager told me I should “look more like a woman.” Apple did nothing.
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@kangaroo5383
Jessica Lam
on x
Yep. Had an incompetent white male manager who did everything he could to block my transfers, lied in meetings, did a bunch of weird shit as with most sexism and racism it's hard to tell if it was targeted or he's just an incompetent ass. https://twitter.com/...
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@jannekeparrish
Janneke Parrish
on x
When they left the company, they were given an absolutely glowing send-off by management. It was a slap in the face to all of us whose lives that manager had made a living hell for years. Apple did nothing. 6/
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@lcooney
Lauren Cooney
on x
How workers at Apple are building a movement - Protocol — The people, power and politics of tech. @cherthedev you are, as always, an inspiration. Keep it up. 💛 https://www.protocol.com/...
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@quinnypig
Corey Quinn
on x
I'm a big fan of @cherthedev. I suggest you should be as well. https://twitter.com/...
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@timnitgebru
Timnit Gebru
on x
As they say, sunlight is the best disinfectant. Thats why they intimidate & brainwash people into being quiet, and ensure they don't hire those who they consider to be too loud. We've seen egregious cases of the latter by Apple in the last few months. https://twitter.com/...
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@jannekeparrish
Janneke Parrish
on x
I was not the only one who was screamed at. I sat across from their office door, and I could always hear when they were abusing someone who could not fight back. 5/
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@ekp
Ellen K. Pao
on x
Someone needs to write a “where are they now” on all the harassers and abusers, because they seem to be resurfacing now with no remorse and no consequences. That means more harm, when we *should* have learned how to stop it. We can't forget how people risked so much to speak up
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@jannekeparrish
Janneke Parrish
on x
My first day at Apple, I was told I could never meet expectations. I compare my time at Apple to an abusive relationship. Working here has destroyed my mental and emotional health. A person cannot live in so toxic an environment for year after year. 10/
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Jessica Lam🍸👩🏻 💻🍷
on x
I raised several issues during my exit interview which prompted an investigation, turns out many ppl saw his gross incompetence and blatant lies about our proj and no one said anything. Most ppl are too afraid to speak up. I'm just not ok w ppl getting away w shit like this
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@jannekeparrish
Janneke Parrish
on x
Another manager made racist remarks during a diversity meeting. HR, again, did nothing. 8/
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@jannekeparrish
Janneke Parrish
on x
In retaliation, I was systematically gaslit and set up to fail. I would be given impossible assignments, and when I did what I could with them, was screamed at. I would be misrepresented to my colleagues. My career was poisoned because I reported illegal discrimination. 4/
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@echecrates
Eche Enziga
on x
I always wondered why my friends who worked at Apple rarely spoke out about any issues. Fascinating work culture at One Infinite Loop https://www.theinformation.com/ ...
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@gartenberg
Michael Gartenberg
on x
“Apple already faces questions over its handling of sexism... In August, the company put Ashley Gjøvik, a senior engineering program manager, on paid administrative leave.” 1. Seems more like a single question 2. Person requested to go on leave https://www.engadget.com/...
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@timnitgebru
Timnit Gebru
on x
Apple HR and lawyers have the sickest retaliatory tactics I have seen so far. @Apple how long do you think you can keep doing these horrible things to people under the radar? Is the lesson you're learning from #AppleToo & @AppleLaborers that you should treat ppl even worse?