Hong Kong-Based Apple Supplier Biel Crystal Accused of Workers Rights Violations - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Hong Kong-Based Apple Supplier Biel Crystal Accused of Workers Rights Violations

biel_crystal_photo Hong Kong-based nonprofit Students & Scholars Against Corporate Misbehaviour (SACOM) has brought forth allegations (via Reuters) of major labor issues at Chinese factories belonging to Biel Crystal, a Hong-Kong based display supplier to Apple.

The workers rights group accuses the company of labor violations, such as forced 11-hour shifts, seven days a week, with only one day off each each month. Other accusations include the inadequate compensation to workers when they are injured, with employees reportedly required to sign blank contracts. The report also states that five workers at a company factory have committed suicide since 2011.

Apple also commented on the new accusations towards Biel Crystal:

"We insist that our suppliers provide safe working conditions, treat workers with dignity and respect, and use environmentally responsible manufacturing processes wherever Apple products are made," Apple said in a statement sent to Reuters in response to the SACOM report.

Biel Crystal employs more than 60,000 workers and has two factories in the Chinese provinces of Guangdong and Shenzhen. The new accusations also come after a number of alleged labor violations at Apple suppliers earlier this year, including reported workers rights issues at iPhone 5c supplier Jabil Circuit and primary supplier Pegatron. Apple also later issued a statement on the labor controversies surrounding Jabil Circuit, pledging to investigate.

Apple announced in July that it was forming an academic advisory board for its Supplier Responsibility program, saying that it wanted to ensure “safe and ethical working conditions wherever its products are made.” Apple has also published Supplier Responsibility Progress Reports every year since 2007, tracking the ethical progress of its suppliers in order to bring transparency to its product manufacturing process.

Popular Stories

iOS 18 Siri Personal Context

Siri AI Settlement Website Now Live: Apple to Pay Some iPhone Owners

Sunday September 20, 2026 7:24 pm PDT by
In May, Apple agreed to pay $250 million to settle a U.S. class action lawsuit over Siri AI's delayed launch, and the settlement website is now live. Apple will pay an estimated $25 per eligible iPhone to eligible customers, who can submit a claim via the settlement website between September 21 and December 21 of this year. The exact payment may be higher or lower than $25 depending on the...
iphone 18 pro max prepare

iPhone 18 Pro Max Requires 'Prepare to Ship' Battery Drain Before Shipping

Friday September 18, 2026 4:27 pm PDT by
The iPhone 18 Pro Max has a battery capacity over 20 watt-hours, which means there are additional shipping requirements. If an iPhone 18 Pro Max needs to be shipped somewhere, its maximum battery capacity has to be limited through firmware. According to Apple, the iPhone 18 Pro Max uses an "innovative battery-firmware solution" that limits battery capacity to below 20Wh between when the...
iphone duo weather

Apple Exec Says 'Hold Us Accountable' on iPhone Duo Crease

Friday September 18, 2026 9:51 pm PDT by
Apple hardware engineering VP Tom Marieb spoke with TechRadar and shared some candid thoughts about Apple's upcoming iPhone Duo. The iPhone Duo uses a matte nano-texture display, which is meant to cut down on glare and minimize the visibility of the crease. When asked if the iPhone Duo's crease would be more visible over time, as that's what tends to happen on other foldables, Marieb said...

Top Rated Comments

gnasher729 Avatar
167 months ago
Do the factories mentioned actually produce things for Apple? If yes, how many of those 60,000 employees work on products made for Apple, and how many work on products made for other companies? Who are the other companies?

There have been reportedly 5 suicides of employees since 2011. The population of the USA is about 5,000 times the number of Biel employees. Have there been more or fewer than 25,000 suicides in the USA since 2011? (Answer: About 40,000 per year). Did these suicides have anything to do with being employed at the company? Did they have anything to do with working on products for Apple?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
167 months ago
As a Hong Kong student, I just want to say: "Please annoy these attention w___e" (For give me language, but they are. )
They can't have sex in dorm, they don't have homework to do, so they try to get attention from anywhere they can find.
They don't care the truth, they don't do fact check, they just drop a claim in media and wait the media chase its tail. They are worse than Fox News.
(We have a "kidnap" happen at Saturday, by Sunday at least 70% people believe this is for human trafficking, so media suggest kick Chinese people out, but it turns out the mum possibly hides the baby.
And we almost shut down because four media w___e try to get donation.
Cry baby has become the new Hong Kong culture. )

Does Hong Kong student mean an employee trolling the internet for stories about your company to comment on?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
167 months ago
What a ********* up mindset.
You have really not a clue what you are talking about.

"Nobody is saying people killing themselves right after working on the production of apple products". But of course that is _exactly_ what the article wants you to believe. Otherwise, why is Apple even mentioned?

"and then there is the hypocrisy of wanting to be the best, most loved and most popular but not wanting to bear any social responsibility. " Totally wrong. You just have to go to Apple's website, where since 2007 they have published what they have done to improve working conditions, year after year after year.
what kind of a mindless apple drone are you?

there is nothing in the article that makes an innocent reader think that there is a correlation between the production of apple parts/products and suicide. its perfectly logical to name the highest profile customer of this particular plant/company.

are you freaking joking me? referring to companies very own pr social responsibility pages (thats like trusting samsungs benchmark results). apple has dragged its feet on this subject and the environmental one. if having apple named in a report like this upsets you so much then let them know it offends your pristine view of them

you dont seem to be arguing against workers right so i would think you would applaud any and all tips apple (and others) receive to improve their way of doing business
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
167 months ago
If that's the case, why bother mentioning Apple at all? Fact is, they stepped in at Foxconn, now they're expected to fix all the problems.

I recommend that they speak the only language that Apple and the defenders of all things Apple understand:

If they could avoid the cost of installation and maintenance of suicide nets (by no longer exploiting third world labor), Apple could further boost its profit margin. That should get Tim Cook fairly excited.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gixxerfool Avatar
167 months ago
That's a straw man argument. It's not about Apple being in charge of fixing. As the industry leader, which they celebrate at almost every opportunity, they SHOULDN'T BE DOING BUSINESS with these types of companies.

Of course, we all know if the employees were fighting for marriage equality, Apple would be ALL over it. That's a much more important issue that exploitation of work forces.


If that's the case, why bother mentioning Apple at all? Fact is, they stepped in at Foxconn, now they're expected to fix all the problems.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Drunken Master Avatar
167 months ago
This just in: the luxuries of the privileged classes throughout history built upon the broken backs and toil of exploited slaves.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
Massive Discounts Hit 2026 MacBook Pro, Save Up to $600 on Amazon
Massive Discounts Hit 2026 MacBook Pro, Save Up to $600 on Amazon
17 minutes ago
Apple Planning to Bring iPhone Duo Display Tech to Pro in 2029
Apple Planning to Bring iPhone Duo Display Tech to Pro in 2029
27 minutes ago
Apple Announces 'Tap to Pay on iPhone' Availability in 8 More Countries
Apple Announces 'Tap to Pay on iPhone' Availability in 8 More Countries
32 minutes ago
New Mac Mini and Mac Studio Now Available for Same-Day Pickup at Apple Stores
New Mac Mini and Mac Studio Now Available for Same-Day Pickup at Apple Stores
2 hours ago
Apple Still Working on Anti-Snatching Feature That Locks Stolen iPhones
Apple Still Working on Anti-Snatching Feature That Locks Stolen iPhones
2 hours ago
Apple Quietly Excludes Older iPhones From New Camera Feature
Apple Quietly Excludes Older iPhones From New Camera Feature
4 hours ago
App Switcher Returns in watchOS 27.2 Beta With New Launch Gesture
App Switcher Returns in watchOS 27.2 Beta With New Launch Gesture
5 hours ago
Apple Music Hall Spatial Audio Venue Opens in Battersea Power Station
Apple Music Hall Spatial Audio Venue Opens in Battersea Power Station
6 hours ago
Apple CEO John Ternus Talks iPhone Duo Design, Siri AI, and Becoming CEO
Apple CEO John Ternus Talks iPhone Duo Design, Siri AI, and Becoming CEO
15 hours ago
You Can No Longer Downgrade From iOS 27 to iOS 26
You Can No Longer Downgrade From iOS 27 to iOS 26
15 hours ago
macOS 27.2 Beta Brings New Volume and Brightness Sliders
macOS 27.2 Beta Brings New Volume and Brightness Sliders
16 hours ago
GM Wants You to Know It Still Plans to Ditch Apple CarPlay in Future EVs
GM Wants You to Know It Still Plans to Ditch Apple CarPlay in Future EVs
18 hours ago
iPhone 14 Pro vs. iPhone 18 Pro Buyer's Guide: Should You Upgrade?
iPhone 14 Pro vs. iPhone 18 Pro Buyer's Guide: Should You Upgrade?
20 hours ago
Apple Seeds Second macOS Golden Gate 27.2 Beta to Developers
Apple Seeds Second macOS Golden Gate 27.2 Beta to Developers
21 hours ago
Apple Releases Second iOS 27.2 Beta
Apple Releases Second iOS 27.2 Beta
21 hours ago
Apple Releases Second watchOS 27.2, tvOS 27.2 and visionOS 27.2 Betas
Apple Releases Second watchOS 27.2, tvOS 27.2 and visionOS 27.2 Betas
21 hours ago
M4 iPad Air Now Starting at $649 on Amazon, Save Up to $149
M4 iPad Air Now Starting at $649 on Amazon, Save Up to $149
21 hours ago
New Mac Mini Reviews: A Good But No Longer 'Insanely Great' Deal
New Mac Mini Reviews: A Good But No Longer 'Insanely Great' Deal
21 hours ago
Some iPhone 18 Pro Users Experiencing Face ID Issues
Some iPhone 18 Pro Users Experiencing Face ID Issues
22 hours ago
Pin Music to the Top of Your Apple Watch Music Library
Pin Music to the Top of Your Apple Watch Music Library
22 hours ago
Apple Smart Home Display Coming as Soon as Next Month
Apple Smart Home Display Coming as Soon as Next Month
22 hours ago
OWC's Best Mac Accessories Are on Sale Just for MacRumors Readers
OWC's Best Mac Accessories Are on Sale Just for MacRumors Readers
1 day ago
New Mac Studio's Biggest Upgrade Isn't the M5 Ultra Chip, Review Says
New Mac Studio's Biggest Upgrade Isn't the M5 Ultra Chip, Review Says
1 day ago
How to Force Quit Apple Watch Apps in watchOS 27
How to Force Quit Apple Watch Apps in watchOS 27
1 day ago
New Mac Mini and Mac Studio Launch Tomorrow
New Mac Mini and Mac Studio Launch Tomorrow
1 day ago
Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 May Have Hidden Flash Storage
Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 May Have Hidden Flash Storage
1 day ago
iPhone 20 Pro Display Sizes Leak Ahead of 2027 Launch
iPhone 20 Pro Display Sizes Leak Ahead of 2027 Launch
1 day ago
Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 Owners Report Unexpected Reboots
Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 Owners Report Unexpected Reboots
1 day ago
iFixit Shares iPhone 18 Pro Teardown With Inside Look at New Features
iFixit Shares iPhone 18 Pro Teardown With Inside Look at New Features
1 day ago
Apple Fitness+ Layoffs Reported Ahead of Potential 'Major' Changes
Apple Fitness+ Layoffs Reported Ahead of Potential 'Major' Changes
1 day ago