Apple
In March 2020, Apple was named in a report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) as one of at least 82 global brands whose supply chains were highly likely to contain Uyghur forced labour. ASPI’s research identified several Chinese factories making components for Apple or their suppliers using Uyghur labour.
One of the companies, O-Film Technology, with documented links to forced labour transfers of Uyghur workers, was personally visited by Apple CEO Tim Cook in December 2017; in a now-deleted press release, Cook praised the company for its ‘humane approach towards employees’ during his visit, asserting that workers seemed “able to gain growth at the company, and live happily.” O-Film Technology was later sanctioned by the United States and placed on an entity list effectively banning them from purchasing US technology without a licence; Apple cut ties with O-Film in March 2021.
Another company with links to Uyghur forced labour, Highbroad Advanced Material (Hefei) Co., earns most of its revenue from supplying the Chinese company BOE Technology Group Co., which was set to become Apple’s second largest OLED screen supplier by 2021.
Foxconn Technology, another of Apple’s suppliers documented to have used workers transferred from Xinjiang, reportedly makes half of the world’s iPhones at its Zhengzhou, Henan facility.
When questioned about the report’s findings, Apple issued a statement to ZDNet that said it had not seen the report and did not provide an update on whether it had read the report. However, it did say that “Apple is dedicated to ensuring that everyone in our supply chain is treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.”
In November 2020, Apple was reportedly one of many US companies lobbying to oppose the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.
An investigation published in December 2020 by the Tech Transparency Project (TTP) identified another Apple supplier, Lens Technology, as having used thousands of Uyghur workers likely subject to forced labour. In response to the report, Apple denied any role in or connection to China’s forced labor practices, saying it regularly investigates its suppliers as part of its auditing process and has seen no evidence that Lens Technology has used such workers on Apple production lines.
Another investigation in May 2021 identified another seven Apple suppliers reported to have participated in forcible labour transfer programs. Apple responded saying that it “found no evidence of forced labor anywhere we operate,” and that it looks for forced labor as part of “every assessment” it conducts. “We will continue doing all we can to protect workers and ensure they are treated with dignity and respect,” the spokesperson said.