Apple Finds 106 Underage Workers in Factories

Apple's own audit of its supply chain turned up 106 underage workers at overseas plants last year, reports the Guardian. Most of the violations—74 of them—occurred at one China facility. The kids were ordered home, and Apple cut ties with the plant, which makes components for circuit boards. In all, 11 factories had at least one worker under age 16, often because their families worked with recruiters to forge IDs.

While Apple has had high-profile problems at its Foxconn production plant in China, the facilities involved in this report are mostly lower-level parts suppliers. "We go deep in the supply chain to find it," an Apple VP tells Business Insider. "And when we do find it, we ensure that the underage workers are taken care of, the suppliers are dealt with." Foxconn has previously acknowledged hiring underage interns, and Apple says a main focus now is making sure that plants don't abuse the concept of internships. (More Apple stories.)