Apple’s Connection to a Suicide Under Investigation

You have probably heard about the Chinese Foxconn worker who committed suicide after losing an iPhone prototype. Just days after his death (July 16^th), the news was buzzing with the story. A young man named Sun Danyong, who was timid and a hard worker, misplaced one of six prototypes that were in his possession and then received a brutal beating and much humiliation from his superiors who suspected thievery. Just days later, the same timid 25-year-old jumped to his death from his apartment, 12 stories up from the street below.

Buzz about this tragic incident is putting much pressure on Apple and Foxconn and issues of labor conditions, treatment of employees, and Apple’s place in Foxconn’s factories. Foxconn is one of the largest suppliers of Apple products, putting Apple in an awkward place. Apple made a statement soon after the event saying what a tragedy it was to lose an employee and that they require suppliers to “treat all workers with dignity and respect.”

The case is now under police investigation but neither Foxconn nor the police have made any statements yet. Security of such exclusive products is now being questioned, especially in the region of China where Foxconn is located. The knock-off smartphone market has become huge in southern China. The New York Times reports, “Labor rights groups say the worker’s death should compel Apple to improve conditions at its supplier factories in China and prevent worker abuse.”