Today Apple unveiled its new products (the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, the Apple Watch and Apple Pay) and while the world praises the ingenuity and innovation of the company, I think it’s high time we take a look at the rotten core of Apple.

The ethical situation of Apple is not quite as modern as the products it innovates. While we marvel over the sleek new design of the iPhone 6, workers in a factory in China are assembling the product that we will be scrambling to buy in a few weeks. Those workers are subject to being pressed to work excessive overtime which can lead to exhaustion or clinical depression. These workers are having basic human rights violated by a company that many people believe is ethical and eco-friendly.

This is all part of a business model that is making Apple quite a large profit and currently, Apple’s only social responsibility seems to be increasing profits. The recently announced profit for the first quarter of 2014 is $13.4bn which seems to be enough to ensure that human rights are not violated during production. 

As a western and “modern” company, Apple should take responsibility and use a business model that benefits all parties involved, not just the company. Apple’s products may be up to date but its business ethics aren’t quite there yet.

Works cited

Jefferies, Duncan. “Is Apple cleaning up its act on labour rights?.” theguardian.com. Guardian News and Media, 5 Mar. 2014. Web. 10 Sept. 2014. <http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/apple-act-on-labour-right>.