Apple accused of illegally monitoring workers

Dec. 3, 2024 | Tuesday’s business headlines

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Here’s a look at Tuesday’s business headlines with Jane King, who discusses Cyber Monday, rising Bible sales, and a new lawsuit against Apple.

Report: Cyber Monday hits over $13B in sales

U.S. shoppers were on track to spend as much as $13.5 billion online during Cyber Monday, according to Adobe. That’s more than the $13.2 billion predicted.

Hot categories this year included toys, jewelry, apparel, sporting goods, personal care, appliances and electronics.

Bible sales resurrected by first-time buyers

Bible sales are soaring and it’s mostly first time buyers driving the trend.

Bible sales were up 22% in the U.S. through the end of October, compared with the same period last year, according to book tracker Circana Bookscan. By contrast, total U.S. print book sales were up less than 1% in that period.

Data shows sales are being driven by young people, especially young men.

Apple accused of illegally monitoring workers

A new lawsuit says Apple is illegally monitoring its workers’ personal devices and iCloud accounts while also barring them from discussing their pay and working conditions.

A lawsuit filed in California alleges the company requires employees to install software on personal devices that they use for work allowing apple to access their email, photo libraries, health and “smart home” data and other personal information.

Apple said the claims in the lawsuit lack merit and that its workers are trained annually on their rights to discuss their working conditions.

Survey: Workers feel holiday spirit at the office

The poll of 2,000 U.S. employees found that 55% feel more appreciated during the holiday season than any other time of the year.

A survey on behalf of Motivosity and by Talker Research found an overall 72% of respondents say being connected to their company’s culture is important to them. At its core, 48% believe what makes a company’s culture so special are their coworkers — more so than the leadership.

Yahoo Mail wants users to stay organized

Yahoo Mail traffic increases nearly 40 percent during the holidays as inboxes filled with brand promotions, travel confirmations, party invitations and holiday well wishes.

For example, the new yahoo mail mobile app experience now has a one-tap filter that organizes and categorizes purchase history and package status in one place.

It’s also created a way for shoppers to keep track of offers from their favorite brands and retailers directly from their inbox.

Another new feature allows users to check-in to flights, copy confirmation codes, track upcoming flights, and manage schedules with the tap of a button.