Foxconn Official Disciplined Over iPhone Suicide

In the wake of a story about a Foxconn worker committing suicide after an iPhone prototype he was responsible for was lost, Foxconn's parent company Hon Hai has suspended a security official.

Sun Tanyong, 25, an employee at Foxconn, reportedly committed suicide by jumping off his dormitory roof on July 16th after one of the 16 iPhone prototypes he was assigned to mail went missing. He had reportedly been subjected to rather heavy-handed tactics and searches.

Bloomberg reports that the official has been identified only by the surname "Gu."


Foxconn Factory

In a statement, Hon Hai said it offered condolences to Sun’s family, and noted that Foxconn did not authorize anyone to violate the law.

Apple commented on the matter on Tuesday, with a spokesperson saying:

“We are saddened by the tragic loss of this employee. We require that our suppliers treat all workers with dignity and respect.”

However, many know that what companies that outsource to Asia and other low-wage countries require is not necessarily what they get. It's also the case that what some companies say they require is not really what they require.