An Apple employee is on the firing line for uploading a viral TikTok video. According to a report published in The Verge, Apple threatened to terminate her service because the company thinks the employee breached company policy by disclosing her identity as an Apple employee in the video. The employee Paris Campbell who posted the Tiktok viral video worked for Apple for six years and is currently working as a repair technician in Apple retail. The video contained basic tips about iPhone security in response to another TikTok user at Coachella who lost her iPhone. Soon after losing the phone, she started receiving threatening text messages from unknown persons warning her that her personal information would be available on the black market if she did not remove her iPhone from her Apple ID.
The Version of the Apple Employee
The Apple employee’s viral TikTok video apparently seems quite innocuous as it contained only general advice about the safety and security of iPhones. Therefore, Apple’s allegation of the employee breaching company policy seems quite intriguing. In the response video, Campbell introduced herself as a certified hardware engineer working for a company that takes an interest in fruits. She did not disclose how she accessed the information about the TikTok threats faced by the owner of the lost iPhone at Coachella. However, she went on to caution the iPhone owner that the threats were a ploy of some extortionists for whom the device was useless, and she suggested the user not succumb to the threats. Surprisingly, her response turned into a Tiktok viral video that took only 24 hours to garner 5 million views.
Apple’s Reaction to Campbell’s Video
On August 12, Friday, Campbell received a call from a manager advising her to remove the viral video or face disciplinary action. It could even mean termination of her service, explained the manager. When she asked what would happen if she did not follow the instruction, the manager repeated the earlier comments and said he would revert to her. But until the report’s publication in The Verge on August 15, 2022, Campbell was awaiting the response.
Soon after interacting with the manager, Campbell uploaded another video titled ‘dear apple’ over the weekend. She identified herself as an Apple employee waiting to hear if the company was going to fire her.
Grounds for Campbell’s Termination
According to Apple, Campbell violated the company policy on social media by disclosing her identity as an employee of the organization and posting topics related to Apple. Although the company’s social media policy cautions employees about posting information about colleagues, customers or confidential information, there’s no specific bar on posting about technology.
As an Apple employee, Campbell felt that the company’s stand on her was quite peculiar. After scrutinizing Apple social media policy, she did not find the mention of any prohibition on identifying oneself as an employee of the organization publicly. However, the employee should ensure that it doesn’t make the company look bad.
Apple refrained from commenting on the issue when requested by The Verge.
