Should Apple be the first ‘fair trade’ tech company?

The World

Ten workers at Foxconn, a Taiwanese-owned iPad factory referred to by some as a “sweatshop” have recently committed suicide, prompting tech journalists and industry watchers to ask: is it time for a Fair Trade Tech company? (Apple CEO Steve Jobs says Foxconn is “not a sweatshop,” and that the suicides are troubling, but Apple is “trying to understand right now, before we go in and say we know the solution.”)

In this conversation we’re joined by Tom Foremski, a former Financial Times journalist who is now the publisher and writer of the blog SiliconValleyWatcher.com. Tom says that while it would be a financial gamble, if any company were prepared to push the ethical technology envelope, it would be Apple. We’re also joined by BBC correspondent Chris Hogg.

Invest in independent global news

The World is an independent newsroom. We’re not funded by billionaires; instead, we rely on readers and listeners like you. As a listener, you’re a crucial part of our team and our global community. Your support is vital to running our nonprofit newsroom, and we can’t do this work without you. Will you support The World with a gift today? Donations made between now and Dec. 31 will be matched 1:1. Thanks for investing in our work!