A major Chinese consumer electronics supplier, Lens Technology, is accused of using forced Uighur workers from the predominantly Muslim region of Xinjiang, China, according to a report by the Tech Transparency Project (TTP) shared with The edge.
According to the report, Lens Technology – a supplier of gadget glass to companies such as Amazon, Apple and Tesla – used thousands of such workers as part of the Chinese government’s ongoing detention and forced labor against the Uighur minority. The Washington Post first reported the findings of TTP on Tuesday.
TTP’s investigation mentions media reports of Global Times of China and government records, which allegedly show that Lens Technology sent thousands of Xinjiang workers to work in its Hunan Province factories as part of a ‘poverty alleviation’ program conducted by the Chamber of Commerce Xinjiang – Suzhou. TTP also cites an online video titled “Lens Tech Uyghurs Celebrating National Day,” which shows hundreds of workers sitting on the ground outside a building with banners revealing the Xinjiang origins of their workers and their service at Lens Technology.
Many of these workers have previously lived in indoctrination camps and are often forced to renounce Islam and learn Mandarin before being transported to various factories in China, according to extensive coverage of the crisis.
Apple has denied any role in or related to China’s forced labor practices, saying it regularly investigates its suppliers as part of its audit process and has seen no evidence that Lens Technology used such workers on Apple’s production lines.
“Apple has no tolerance for forced labor. “Looking for the presence of forced labor is part of every vendor review we do, including surprise audits,” Apple spokesman Josh Rosenstock said in a statement. “Earlier this year, we confirmed that none of our suppliers have Uighur Xinjiang ‘mating programs’ on any Apple production lines.”
The TTP report is consistent with the claim, as it only pretends to show Xinjiang employees at Lens rather than working specifically on Apple components. It is nevertheless a disturbing reminder of the limitations of supply chain auditing efforts and how little is known in public about many prominent technology providers, especially as the Chinese government resists the efforts of outside independent agencies and human rights groups to address the working conditions. and labor practices in the country.
Neither Amazon nor Tesla was immediately available for comment regarding contracts with Lens Technology.
A big BuzzFeed News an inquiry published on Monday further revealed the extent of China’s campaign against the Uighur minority, including a look at the extensive network of factories the government has built in its detention camps to put Xinjiang prisoners to work . The investigation also cites a report from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute in which nearly 100 businesses were identified with suppliers who used Uighur workers outside the Xinjiang region who were forcibly relocated and placed in labor camps. The list includes well-known brands such as Apple and Amazon, as well as H&M, Nike, Nintendo and dozens of others.
Outside China, concerns have gradually grown over the government’s treatment of Uighurs, which began under the pretext of combating foreign extremism and promoting the values of the Chinese Community Party. Activists and human rights viewers have sharply criticized detention camps and forced relocation and work programs. More recently, such groups have called on companies like Apple to take a stronger stand against the abuse.
The TTP report also states that the focus on Apple is justified because of the company’s role in allegedly working against the Uyghur Law on the Prevention of Forced Labor, a bill that would penalize U.S. technology companies for connections with the Chinese government’s forced labor campaign, according to a separate report by The Washington Post published last month.