Reuters today reports on the secrecy demanded by Apple of its Asian manufacturing partners, profiling a sprawling Foxconn facility in Longhua, China complete where employees live and work while producing many of Apple's devices.
According to the report, workers are subject to metal detectors and searches when leaving the compound, while security personnel aggressively protect the security of the facility. One Reuters reporter was reportedly physically assaulted by Foxconn security personnel while taking photos of the compound from a public road, and only the intervention of police summoned by the reporter was able to resolve the situation.
Apple's manufacturing partners are also subject to confidentiality agreements as is standard in the industry, while Apple also performs unannounced security checks at manufacturing facilities to test security. According to sources, several partners have been warned about the possibility of losing their contracts if suspected leaks continued, although none appear to have actually had their contracts terminated.
Another security measure employed by Apple is the use of custom parts with tight lead times for parts manufacturers, limiting the amount of time such companies are aware of Apple's plans. Apple also reportedly sources components from many different manufacturers, leaving each one with only very limited knowledge of Apple's forthcoming devices until manufacturing begins just weeks before product launch. Finally, the report notes that Apple has been known to test potential manufacturing partners by contracting with them for production of different parts and watching for any leaks from those sources.
Apple's obsession with secrecy has been profiled in the past, with workers on its main headquarters campus in Cupertino faced with numerous security access points and special protocols to severely limit the number of people with knowledge of products under development. According to the earlier report, Apple has also been known to seed its own employees with incorrect information in attempts to discover the sources of product information leaks in its bid for the strictest security possible.
Article Link: Report Profiles Secrecy at Apple's Asian Manufacturing Partners' Facilities
didn't behave like this when they were making things in the West. Amazing how these companies acclimatise to their surroundings. I wonder what Foxconn's environmental behaviour is like if they have such scant regard for humanity?