Apple fires iPhone X engineer after daughter’s hands-on video goes viral

[Lathlaer]

That was a clear screw up for sure, they both should've known better. I feel like the daughter of an engineer working for Apple and being interested in the product itself would have enough clarity of mind to know what is or isn't allowed when you are shown some priviledged top secret stuff.

 

On the other hand, I don't like the approach that someone is either a perfect employee or is fired. There is a full spectrum of things you can do as punishment to an employee before firing him. 

 

What we don't know, obviously, is his history in the company. It might not have been the first strike, he might have done few minor violation for which he was already disciplined. 

 

If that was a first strike, firing was a bit excessive in my opinion. Surely within their rights but still excessive. 

[NumLock21]

Tearful video? Is that in the op? Cause she don't seem tearful...

[CTR640]

Ugh, those entitled teenagers always gotta record shit to be famous and all viral.

Well, kiddy girl, you just let your daddy got dismissed by your own dumb fault, good job.

 

I don't like Apple but if the employee signed NDA, then it's Apple's right to throw him out of the window.

[Cookybiscuit]

What a dumbass, hopefully he cuts her college fund.

[NumLock21]

His daughter is not a kid. She is married. 

[BuckGup]

Yeah don't feel bad. They are under strict rules and ever other engineer followed them

[Jito463]

While I feel for the father losing his job, quite honestly it's his own fault.  He surely knows the rules about leaks, and if he's stupid enough to allow his daughter to record an unreleased product that's still under NDA, then he deserves whatever punishment his employer chooses to apply.

 

Having said all that, I have to consider if this is all a PR stunt.  Pretend it's a leak, "fire" the engineer for the "leak" and then later "rehire" him saying they've worked out an "agreement".  I'm not saying that's the case, just a scenario I could see as being possible.

[Blade of Grass]

6 hours ago, ScratchCat said:

Given that the video has shown very little new and unannounced things I think firing him was an overreaction , a fine would have been sufficient.

Generally, companies are not allowed to fine employees unless the employee has agreed to it in writing. Regardless, big tech companies (especially Apple) are starting to have zero tolerance for leaking information.

3 hours ago, atrash said:

what's even worse, her dad would probably have signed some kind of nda/contract with Apple prior to his termination that says he can't get a job of competing companies/same job scope as the one he had at apple for an X amount of time. there goes all that working experiences all down the drain.

"Non-competes" are not a thing in tech/are illegal in California

 

3 minutes ago, Jito463 said:

Having said all that, I have to consider if this is all a PR stunt.  Pretend it's a leak, "fire" the engineer for the "leak" and then later "rehire" him saying they've worked out an "agreement".  I'm not saying that's the case, just a scenario I could see as being possible.

I doubt it. Tech companies (especially Apple) take leaks very seriously and would risk their zero tolerance reputation if they hired him back.

 

Plus, what PR do they need? They're already sold out of the iPhone X like... everywhere? 

[Trik'Stari]

NDA's or not, that's a dick move.

 

(I generally hate NDA's as well as Apple so meh)

[NumLock21]

3 hours ago, Lathlaer said:

That was a clear screw up for sure, they both should've known better. I feel like the daughter of an engineer working for Apple and being interested in the product itself would have enough clarity of mind to know what is or isn't allowed when you are shown some priviledged top secret stuff.

 

On the other hand, I don't like the approach that someone is either a perfect employee or is fired. There is a full spectrum of things you can do as punishment to an employee before firing him. 

 

What we don't know, obviously, is his history in the company. It might not have been the first strike, he might have done few minor violation for which he was already disciplined. 

 

If that was a first strike, firing was a bit excessive in my opinion. Surely within their rights but still excessive. 

It's not excessive. Shows a example to others out there, tech companies take their products very seriously as well as the rules they enforced. If he just got a warning, then others will think it's not a big deal. And you'll have a bunch of these entitled kids who's life just evolves around facebook, twitter, and instagram begging for likes, with video like what his daughther posted, all over the place.

[Lathlaer]

5 minutes ago, NumLock21 said:

It's not excessive. Shows a example to others out there, tech companies take their products very seriously as well as the rules they enforced.

Yea sure, I think there was a time where most of Apple's products were leaked by one way or the other. You can show that you are serious without firing someone if he had otherwise spotless record in the company.

 

But, as I said, it was within their rights so let's agree to disagree.

[ARikozuM]

Why don't kids ask before doing something that could be against the rules? It goes against common sense. 

 

4 hours ago, atrash said:

what's even worse, her dad would probably have signed some kind of nda/contract with Apple prior to his termination that says he can't get a job of competing companies/same job scope as the one he had at apple for an X amount of time. there goes all that working experiences all down the drain.

I'm pretty sure that's illegal. Giving secrets from Apple is illegal, but being told that you can't work in your field is also illegal.

[DildorTheDecent]

The perfect video to propel her channel forward. 

[Thermosman]

who cares? apple products are trash anyways lololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololol

[79wjd]

11 minutes ago, ARikozuM said:

Why don't kids ask before doing something that could be against the rules? It goes against common sense. 

Her dad was watching her make the video. He should have stepped in. Yes, she should have been smart enough to assume it would be bad idea, but her dad is the one that shouldn't have allowed it to happen. 

[ARikozuM]

1 minute ago, djdwosk97 said:

Her dad was watching her make the video. He should have stepped in. Yes, she should have been smart enough to assume it would be bad idea, but her dad is the one that shouldn't have allowed it to happen. 

I think he may have thought it was a camera video and not a Youtube video since it sounds like she may have uploaded directly to Youtube with the app.

[79wjd]

2 minutes ago, ARikozuM said:

I think he may have thought it was a camera video and not a Youtube video since it sounds like she may have uploaded directly to Youtube with the app.

She was talking to the video though as if she was talking to a person, but not a specific person (e.g. a video she was going to push online). I also would expect her dad to know she makes Youtube videos.

[OmJo93]

I'm sure he'll be hired by Google shortly. Just after they cancel take your daughter to work day.

[Blade of Grass]

22 minutes ago, ARikozuM said:

Why don't kids ask before doing something that could be against the rules? It goes against common sense. 

 

I'm pretty sure that's illegal. Giving secrets from Apple is illegal, but being told that you can't work in your field is also illegal.

"Non-compete" agreements are legal in a lot jurisdictions (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-compete_clause) 

[NumLock21]

31 minutes ago, Lathlaer said:

Yea sure, I think there was a time where most of Apple's products were leaked by one way or the other. You can show that you are serious without firing someone if he had otherwise spotless record in the company.

 

But, as I said, it was within their rights so let's agree to disagree.

The thing with those leaks is, that person is smart enough not to post their face on the internet.

[OmJo93]

36 minutes ago, NumLock21 said:

It's not excessive. Shows a example to others out there, tech companies take their products very seriously as well as the rules they enforced. If he just got a warning, then others will think it's not a big deal. And you'll have a bunch of these entitled kids who's life just evolves around facebook, twitter, and instagram begging for likes, with video like what his daughther posted, all over the place.

It's not so black and white IMO.

 

You think some companies don't purposefully "leak" information about their products? It's an excellent way to cut back on marketing costs if you think about it. None of them will turn down free advertising. You leak the size of the screen and every tech news outlet will be talking about it for a week or so, hyping up the product.

 

Secondly, those OEMs helped create that social media obsessed generation because, again, it's like free advertising. They turned a generation (or more) into practically mindless consumers. Apple is a prime example of that. So they reap what they sow. 

[PlayStation 2]

7 hours ago, Nicholatian said:

Maybe his daughter should take some of that advice along with Apple. You don't screw around with people's livelihoods by disregarding NDAs and uploading what you like about a product, even though it may not be information Apple has decided to publish. It's nothing but reckless and endangering to their business.

And this is exactly why I agree with Apple here.

Apple's not in the wrong for firing him if he broke a NDA (which I'd bet cash he did), especially on a product that's just about to launch.

[Sauron]

NDAs exist for a reason, it's sad to see someone laid off for this but he signed a contract which I'm sure had very specific rules about this sort of thing.

5 hours ago, Ryujin2003 said:

There goes her future as a YouTuber. I can imagine it's hard to bounce back from looking like someone who cannot hold an NDA.

Not that she had a future to begin with if she needed to break an NDA to get views.

[NumLock21]

28 minutes ago, OmJo93 said:

It's not so black and white IMO.

 

You think some companies don't purposefully "leak" information about their products? It's an excellent way to cut back on marketing costs if you think about it. None of them will turn down free advertising. You leak the size of the screen and every tech news outlet will be talking about it for a week or so, hyping up the product.

 

Secondly, those OEMs helped create that social media obsessed generation because, again, it's like free advertising. They turned a generation (or more) into practically mindless consumers. Apple is a prime example of that. So they reap what they sow. 

Companies does leak to hype up a product, but they don't post who it actually was.

Real life isn't just about, yolo, lol, and likes. The father paid the ultimate price, his job. Cause his daughther wants likes and popularity. 

[bcredeur97]

considering the video was released after the phone was announced and some of the press got to hands-on with the phone AND she didn't really show much... I don't really see the big deal here. Sure a promise to never film again and take down the video, I could understand. I think firing him was a little too far though...

 

then again... if you let one get away with a rule then you're kind of showing that your rules don't matter so perhaps this was justified. Really the only thing that bothers me is the phone was already announced though...