There has been a lot of chatter lately around Apple's suppliers and the working conditions in which our dear iDevices are built. Indeed, the secrecy surrounding Apple's products begins in these Asian factories and who knows at what cost are we really getting all these goodies.
Well, to answer those preoccupations, Apple has
published on its main website this week its 2010 Supplier Responsibility Progress Report, presenting the result of audits conducted internally across its suppliers in China, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, the Czech Republic, Philippines and the U.S.
So what did we learn? A lot actually. Apple admits for example that they discovered in these factories many irregularities concerning work hours, wages, hazardous material and so on. There is even a case of underage employment, where three employees were only 15 while the law in the concerned country stated 16 as a minimum (page 17).
These situations have however been now taken care of and Apple assures that it's doing all the necessary to make our iDevices as socially responsible as possible.
PR or reality you might ask? Well, I believe Apple is very conscious of its image and its margins definitely allow them to play fair. With all the media attention they're getting, it's in their outmost interest not to shoot themself in the foot.
The complete report can be found directly
on Apple's website.
This might sound cynical, but would social concerns really make you give up on your iPhone anyway?
