William Gallagher
The Campaign for Accountability has filed a formal complaint with US Customs and Border Protection over Apple's alleged use of forced labor in China.
The Campaign for Accountability (CfA) has previously accused Apple of "aggressive" lobbying, and monitored the company removing 94,000 games from the China App Store. Now it, with its parent company Tech Transparency Project (TTP) has formally submitted its research to the US Customs and Border Protection agency regarding forced labor.
"This research is based on hard evidence: Chinese-language media reports, government announcements, and even videos posted online," said the CfA in a statement. "Yet in the face of such detailed allegations raised by TTP and others, Apple has consistently refused to acknowledge the problem, repeatedly issuing the same blanket denial about its suppliers' use of minority Uyghur laborers."
The CfA wants a Withhold Release Order "that prevents the importation of Apple products linked to forced labor." It says Apple is in contravention of the Tariff Act of 1930, which prohibit importing merchandise made under these conditions.
The specific complaints include Apple's buying retail employee uniforms from a subsidiary of Esquel Group, which is facing sanctions over alleged human rights violations.
Similarly, the CfA claims it has documentary evidence from 2020 of forced labor being used by Apple supplier Lens Technology.
"[At the time] Apple said Lens Tech had received no Uyghur labor transfers from Xinjiang, despite video evidence unearthed by TTP of Uyghur Lens Tech workers," continues the statement. "Later, in July 2021, the Wall Street Journal reported that Lens Tech had phased out Uyghur laborers transferred from Xinjiang— confirming that the company had engaged in the practice."
Many of the people said to be subject to forced labor are Uyghurs from the Xinjiang, allegedly used by the wind farm company Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology, which has previously partnered with Apple.
"Overall, Apple seems unable or unwilling to conduct basic due diligence research on its partners in China, or to acknowledge its repeated use of forced labor in China," says the CfA.
"By filing this complaint," it concludes, "Campaign for Accountability hopes that Customs and Border Protection will help spur the company to respect the rights of Uyghurs and take seriously its stated commitment to human rights and a safe, noncoercive workplace."
Apple has not responded to the complaint filing.
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27 Comments
What these people should do is go to China and protect. So they will have first hand experience of Chinese prison and labour camps. And report back to the West after few years.
Looking briefly over The Campaign for Accountability’s web site it seems like they’re attempting good things, but in the first four pages of their news at least it looks like they’ve mainly targeted politicians and social media. Apple is the only retailer being called out for its manufacturing. Are they going after others, such as ones selling clothing and luxury goods, also made in sweatshops?
All business’s that do business in China are doing business with a communist regime that cold care less for: The environment, child labor laws, labor laws (people working constantly and always), no breaks, will crush free speech. So, yes, Apple definitely knows what’s going on in China to say that they don’t is an outright lie.