Apple fired the father of the viral YouTuber

[alee]

Okay, again, Apple announced it after the keynote. Videos were posted online of it working. So why is this so different?!

Because the document you sign says that you cannot share this product with non-disclosed individuals until after first customer shipment.

You'll note that every individual that was authorized to share a video about the phone was at Apple Park, and every unit was exactly the same. Very likely PVT (Production Validation Test) units, or even the first few Mass Production units. However every unit is "press ready" - no secret info, no chance of odd production variances, fit and finish issues, or software that may be perceived to misrepresent the product or it's promised performance.

Every one of those devices was likely individually signed off before being allowed to be demoed. This isn't some sort of thing where Apple just unboxed 100 iPhone Xs and set them up in a room. It's staged so that stuff doesn't happen. The demos are setup to show the product in the best way possible - it's a marketing event, not a "do whatever you want" day.

If they didn't? Well, we all remember what happened when Face ID didn't work when Craig went to demo it. Instant speculation on how terrible the tech is, and how it's not ready for prime time.

Chances are he's holding an EVT (Engineering Validation Test) or DVT (Design Validation Test) unit. Imagine she posted a video where dad's new phone didn't unlock correctly for Apple Pay because of whatever bug they were working out with that unit. How would that represent the company, in an uncontrolled environment? What would have happened if there was some lag due to a developer build on that device, that all of us hungry MacRumors readers would then spend the next week analyzing how buggy the device was. Not something Apple wants to leave to chance.

He was lucky nothing like that happened - that's when damages would be rendered. Apple would have easily then said he irreparably damaged the product launch and brand, and he'd be facing real financial consequences. Instead, he was simply in breach of the agreement - when you get that device to carry, you sign your life away and are told to protect that product. He disregarded that, and when they found him, they terminated him. He knew he had no leg to stand on.

 

[Count Blah]

I'm more surprised by how many people don't think the rules don't apply. It's kind of horrifying.

It is the Millennial way.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Seems quite an amateur mistake by the father to allow his daughter to review a phone in front of him that he would have signed a non disclosure agreement regarding. Sad he got sacked but that is par for the course in a competitive world. I’ve worked on projects and for companies/teams where I can’t even discuss things with my wife so I understand where Apple are coming from here.

 

[Pascal325]

Because the document you sign says that you cannot share this product with non-disclosed individuals until after first customer shipment.

You'll note that every individual that was authorized to share a video about the phone was at Apple Park, and every unit was exactly the same. Very likely PVT (Production Validation Test) units, or even the first few Mass Production units. However every unit is "press ready" - no secret info, no chance of odd production variances, fit and finish issues, or software that may be perceived to misrepresent the product or it's promised performance.

Every one of those devices was likely individually signed off before being allowed to be demoed. This isn't some sort of thing where Apple just unboxed 100 iPhone Xs and set them up in a room. It's staged so that stuff doesn't happen. The demos are setup to show the product in the best way possible - it's a marketing event, not a "do whatever you want" day.

If they didn't? Well, we all remember what happened when Face ID didn't work when Craig went to demo it. Instant speculation on how terrible the tech is, and how it's not ready for prime time.

Chances are he's holding an EVT (Engineering Validation Test) or DVT (Design Validation Test) unit. Imagine she posted a video where dad's new phone didn't unlock correctly for Apple Pay because of whatever bug they were working out with that unit. How would that represent the company, in an uncontrolled environment? What would have happened if there was some lag due to a developer build on that device, that all of us hungry MacRumors readers would then spend the next week analyzing how buggy the device was. Not something Apple wants to leave to chance.

He was lucky nothing like that happened - that's when damages would be rendered. Apple would have easily then said he irreparably damaged the product launch and brand, and he'd be facing real financial consequences. Instead, he was simply in breach of the agreement - when you get that device to carry, you sign your life away and are told to protect that product. He disregarded that, and when they found him, they terminated him. He knew he had no leg to stand on.

I will say as soon as I saw the original video, I did say he would be fired. Just because it was too much stuff showing and we know how Apple is.

 

[flat five]

I'm more surprised by how many people don't think the rules don't apply. It's kind of horrifying.

It is the Millennial way.

maybe.

if so, at least she did give a PSA in the second video regarding this which may help to inform other 'clueless millennials'..
(around 4:10)

 

[fischersd]

Wrong. I have been in technology more than MOST in this forum. I have worked and have had to sign agreements for disclosure of new products as well. Most COMPANIES who do that, do not allow their products to leave the corporate office. And even so, Apple announced it before this video in the keynote. There were other sightings in public places of the X outside of Apple. So again, they are allowed to take them into the world (public).

Well, in the handheld market, you need to get your devices out there in real life in order to test them. If it was a different form factor, you usually have a skin on them to mask the appearance of the device. Anyone taking devices off company premises or outside of their homes knows to keep them under wraps. Certainly not to leave them out in the open and never take the chance that they're photographed or otherwise recorded.
It doesn't matter if there's other sightings, it doesn't change the circumstances of this case.

 

[artfossil]

Almost certainly less AdSense revenue than one week of her old man's lost salary at Apple. This isn't like a sex tape, whose "value" can catapult the right performers into reality TV stars. Besides, she's not even a tech vlogger like iJustine. Her video was primarily "a day in the life of me" material (e.g. shopping), that happened to include the unreleased X, which inadvertently made the video a lightning rod for 15 minutes. After a week, when the vlogosphere will be saturated with iPhone X videos, her YT channel will be forgotten, and her father will be working for Robert Scoble.

Oh I well understand that. I should have said, "worth money if she has the skill to co tinge to build her YouTube brand" (which she doesn’t have). There are lots of successful YouTube bloggers, not just sex-or-tech. 90 to 4K overnight would be a great opportunity for the right person.

Maybe this was her father's retirement plan all along.

LOL.

 

[Gameboy70]

There are lots of successful YouTube bloggers, not just sex-or-tech. 90 to 4K overnight would be a great opportunity for the right person.

True. Clearly she's not a professional YouTuber, just someone who treats her YT channel like her Facebook account, and stepped on a landmine, unaware of how serious the consequences could be—however obvious it was to MR readers. I'm sure someone gets fired every day for something they said or revealed on YouTube. It just happens in domains we don't care about.

 

[FunkyTang]

He looks over 50. Lets all wish him luck finding another job if he has to sign another NDA.

 

[Starfyre]

Maybe he was banking on his daughter becoming viral and famous to make up for it?
This video shared in the OP seems like a marketing ploy not for Apple, but for the popularity of her own channel/image... if she gets away with "apologizing in public" with her latest video with over a million views...

 

[pat500000]

She disabled all comments.

 

[Starfyre]

She disabled all comments.

Comments disabled or not, I can imagine her future videos getting millions of views, or even hundreds of thousands thanks to this. I am partially curious whether her next video will be a large success given what happened to her father, but that is just feeding into her view count and claim to fame.

Over 2 million views on that apology video now. At this point she could do anything and people will watch it.

 

[Zwhaler]

There's a saying that I like: "What goes up must come down!"

 

[trsblader]

She disabled all comments.

Get ready for another fake crying video. She has the subs and views now to make a quick few thousand dolllars from ads and all she has to do is keep putting iPhone or Apple in the title.

 

[alee]

Maybe he was banking on his daughter becoming viral and famous to make up for it?

No way someone in their early 50s who spent a lifetime building a career like his would trade that on a gamble with his daughter's (originally) 90 followers.

Even at 6000+ followers today, she's not even close to reaching any sort of meaningful influencer level. The views right now are all being driven by tech sites saying dad got fired for sharing confidential info. And her content prior this is pretty much all garbage - quality of content still matters. She'll get people watching casually for a bit, and then drop off into obscurity.

 

[Starfyre]

There's a saying that I like: "What goes up must come down!"

That better be the case. If she ends up on some talk show like Ellen...

 

[myscrnnm]

Maybe he was banking on his daughter becoming viral and famous to make up for it?
This video shared in the OP seems like a marketing ploy not for Apple, but for the popularity of her own channel/image... if she gets away with "apologizing in public" with her latest video with over a million views...

I feel like someone who had enough work ethic to become an engineer at Apple would not be the type of person who wants to just live off his daughter's success.

 

[pat500000]

Comments disabled or not, I can imagine her future videos getting millions of views, or even hundreds of thousands thanks to this. I am partially curious whether her next video will be a large success given what happened to her father, but that is just feeding into her view count and claim to fame.

Over 2 million views on that apology video now. At this point she could do anything and people will watch it.

All she had to do was make one video of her sincerely apologizing to his dad and admitting that it was her fault. This whole fiasco would end. I was reading their comments before she disabled it all and I realized the issues what these people were complaining were not just about his dad losing his job, or her addressing the situation, but people were seeing as "privileged" or as a "spoiled brat."

When she got 2mil views, it can go two ways...she may have lot of views and her subs are increasing, but at the same time her reputation isn't going to be pretty. It's all about that reputation.
[doublepost=1509316465][/doublepost]

Get ready for another fake crying video. She has the subs and views now to make a quick few thousand dolllars from ads and all she has to do is keep putting iPhone or Apple in the title.

Or her reputation is being attacked so many times...that she is suddenly a "youtube" star.

 

[alee]

When she got 2mil views, it can go two ways...she may have lot of views and her subs are increasing, but at the same time her reputation isn't going to be pretty. It's all about that reputation.

Sadly, I think she'd really have to own the "spoiled brat" thing to build her followers - the Internet has a fascination with human train wrecks.

 

[eoblaed]

I have a problem with this. Then Apple shouldn't let their employees take those phones out in the public. Once it's out in the public, it can be looked at and videoed. Apple had no leg to stand on as this technically is 100% their fault for allowing that.

Not true at all. There is a huge difference between people being able to see the device in someone else's hands and actually holding and using the device.

Huge enough that companies like Apple will very frequently have staged authorizations with these sorts of things. Based on what we've seen so far, it's pretty clear they're in the stage that employees that are authorized to have one can use them in public, but are not allowed to let other people use them. Since the presentation where the X was announced, we've seen multiple photos of people in public with them ... assuming they're allowed to have those devices in the first place, they're not violating anything by just having them out in public. Now, if they handed them over to someone else to touch/feel/use/etc them, then that's where they'd run afoul of whatever NDA they're under, obviously.

Note, also, that Apple hasn't lifted the NDA on any reviewers that might have the devices in their possession at this time. We usually see that NDA lifted a day or two before launch date.

I've worked for many tech companies over the years and have been part of similar staged exposures. This is not unusual, and I'd be shocked if any employee entrusted with a not-yet-released piece of hardware didn't know the rules around when it was ok for them to let other people use them on their own.

 

[EdT]

Pretty sure you posted this to the wrong thread.

Reading the responses to this thread I think he posted well. Time to dr

Lol I did, maybe it will ease the tension a little.

If you're a user who has posted a few times a month then you've probably done this at least once, and usually more than that. I know I have.

:Edit- Your you're.

 

[danilko1]

Campus rules. Not saying people don’t do it, but it is not allowed. It’s the same in a lot of SV office campuses.

Edit: Also last few EBs I’ve had were catered lunches - we were stuck in the 5 IL briefing center. Visiting someone is different.

We got to eat in the Mac Cafe. They gave us a voucher card, for anything we wanted to eat. I put the lunch of a guy behind me on the card too.. He was pretty happy. The cacher was happy to do it too.

 

[DDustiNN]

Good job, internet. Your freakout about a crappy video (which was miles worse than any of the already existing hands-on videos) has caused someone to lose their job.

But hey, at least you got to see an iPhone you’ve already seen!

 

[macsplusmacs]

Good job dad. You broke your NDA and got yourself fired.

 

[FunkyTang]

I hope the blue wallpaper on Brooke's Father's X is standard on the X. I want to use it on mine, come Friday.

Anyone call dibs on the iPhone X that Brooke's father had to return to Apple? I'd like to use it until mine comes in.