Apple introducing new measures at factories to prevent leaks
Apple is reportedly introducing new measures at its factories to prevent leaks, according to an internal document obtained by The Information.
The document outlining the new changes Apple is requiring its suppliers take to keep product secret while in production, including factory guards keeping detailed logs of the movement of workers carrying sensitive parts from one area to another of the factory, criminal background checks on all assembly line workers who work on unreleased Apple products, government-issued ID checks for all visitors to the factory, and more.
The report claims that Apple is working on upgrading its own computer systems to get a more detailed look at parts in its supply chain, letting the company track how long goods are being moved around production stations to pick up on any anomalies which could suggest something untoward is occurring.
Apple is in the process of upgrading its own computer system, which is installed at some factories, to determine how long parts should remain at one production station before moving to another. The system uses proprietary Apple software on Mac minis to collect and analyze manufacturing data, according to the person familiar with Wistron’s operations in India. This kind of monitoring can help Apple determine whether manufacturers are cutting corners, which Apple sometimes accuses even its biggest partners of doing, according to people familiar with the systems. The system also can prevent the theft of components, those people say.
Interestingly, Apple says manufacturing facilities can no longer collect biometric data, such as fingerprints or facial scans, of Apple employees visiting factories however, the new rule does not apply to factory workers.
Transport vehicles must now have CCTV cameras to capture all four sides of the load at all times, and videos that “show the destruction of prototypes and defective parts” must now be retained for at least 180 days.