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Apple store workers using Android, secure chat to keep unionization plans secret

39 points by belltaco 5y ago

_odey 5y ago
The article does not touch upon why exactly android + encrypted chats. But it does make sense not to give your employer access to your personal affairs. If I'd ever work for Google, I'll switch my and my families devices and accounts to Apple's (and other); if I'd ever work for Apple I'd switch them to Google; if I'd ever work for Microsoft I don't need to do anything :) because they have nothing I use or need (maybe LinkedIn, but I use that as a top of the funnel lead generator only). Policies mean nothing when there's an interest involved.
- zibzab 5y ago
  > if I'd ever work for Microsoft I don't need to do anything :) because they have nothing I use or need I find Teams and OneDrive superior to their counterparts. The jury is still out on Outlook, but you can't beat it if you use exchange.
  - pinephoneguy 5y ago
    Teams is awful. I don't know how people actually like these closed IM apps to begin with but Teams is one of the most poorly behaved ones.
    - zibzab 5y ago
      Teams is the only one that works reasonably well in different browsers and also has a decent official Linux client. In my experience, Zoom is the one that always causes issues for people. Not to mention that it has had tons of security issues.
      - antifa 5y ago
        Most people saying teams is terrible are probably referring to the non audio/video components and have used any slack competitor before their employer randomly switched to this weird PoS called teams.
      - Nullabillity 5y ago
        Teams is the only one that can't join calls at all on Firefox.
        slaw 5y ago
        Slack call for long time didn’t work on Firefox. You got message “This feature works only on Chrome”. Recently Firefox is not blocked, but still doesn’t work for me.
    - MikeDelta 5y ago
      In my experience, before Teams most companies used Webex. This failed regularly and participants had to constantly try dialling in via phone because the app didn't work. Teams works, at least, compared to Webex.
zibzab 5y ago
I wonder if Apple sees use of android enough to fire them? After all, this is a company that will reject your app submission if the app mentions "android" anywhere: https://www.theregister.com/2010/02/05/apple_slaps_iphone_app_for_mentioning_google_android/ https://www.theregister.com/2010/02/05/apple_slaps_iphone_ap...
- IntelMiner 5y ago
  Many, many years ago I had a...fun(?) interview with an Apple recruiter. As part of the call they quizzed me about what hardware I owned "So what phone do you use now?" "Aha, uh. I'm currently using a...Galaxy S2 from Samsung" (Samsung was in the middle of the legal battle with Apple at tha time, which may date the story) "What about a tablet?" "I have a Google Nexus 7" "Computer?" "I use Linux on a custom-built desktop" "...Laptop?" "...Google Chromebook" Mercifully they continued interviewing me beyond that, but it was a very awkward back and forth
josephcsible 5y ago
This is particularly alarming because if Apple actually followed the privacy practices it claims to, then there'd be no reason to do this.

39 points by belltaco 5y ago

The article does not touch upon why exactly android + encrypted chats. But it does make sense not to give your employer access to your personal affairs. If I'd ever work for Google, I'll switch my and my families devices and accounts to Apple's (and other); if I'd ever work for Apple I'd switch them to Google; if I'd ever work for Microsoft I don't need to do anything :) because they have nothing I use or need (maybe LinkedIn, but I use that as a top of the funnel lead generator only). Policies mean nothing when there's an interest involved.

zibzab 5y ago
> if I'd ever work for Microsoft I don't need to do anything :) because they have nothing I use or need I find Teams and OneDrive superior to their counterparts. The jury is still out on Outlook, but you can't beat it if you use exchange.
- pinephoneguy 5y ago
  Teams is awful. I don't know how people actually like these closed IM apps to begin with but Teams is one of the most poorly behaved ones.
  - zibzab 5y ago
    Teams is the only one that works reasonably well in different browsers and also has a decent official Linux client. In my experience, Zoom is the one that always causes issues for people. Not to mention that it has had tons of security issues.
    - antifa 5y ago
      Most people saying teams is terrible are probably referring to the non audio/video components and have used any slack competitor before their employer randomly switched to this weird PoS called teams.
    - Nullabillity 5y ago
      Teams is the only one that can't join calls at all on Firefox.
      - slaw 5y ago
        Slack call for long time didn’t work on Firefox. You got message “This feature works only on Chrome”. Recently Firefox is not blocked, but still doesn’t work for me.
  - MikeDelta 5y ago
    In my experience, before Teams most companies used Webex. This failed regularly and participants had to constantly try dialling in via phone because the app didn't work. Teams works, at least, compared to Webex.

zibzab 5y ago

I wonder if Apple sees use of android enough to fire them? After all, this is a company that will reject your app submission if the app mentions "android" anywhere: https://www.theregister.com/2010/02/05/apple_slaps_iphone_app_for_mentioning_google_android/ https://www.theregister.com/2010/02/05/apple_slaps_iphone_ap...

IntelMiner 5y ago
Many, many years ago I had a...fun(?) interview with an Apple recruiter. As part of the call they quizzed me about what hardware I owned "So what phone do you use now?" "Aha, uh. I'm currently using a...Galaxy S2 from Samsung" (Samsung was in the middle of the legal battle with Apple at tha time, which may date the story) "What about a tablet?" "I have a Google Nexus 7" "Computer?" "I use Linux on a custom-built desktop" "...Laptop?" "...Google Chromebook" Mercifully they continued interviewing me beyond that, but it was a very awkward back and forth

josephcsible 5y ago

This is particularly alarming because if Apple actually followed the privacy practices it claims to, then there'd be no reason to do this.