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Re:Foxconn using forced student labor to build Sony’s PS4 by bookface on Wednesday October 09, 2013 @09:54PM (#6525221)
If this involved Apple, the article's headline would be "Apple using forced student labor to build iPhone"
Re:Foxconn using forced student labor to build Sony’s PS4 by gnarbarian on Wednesday October 09, 2013 @11:45PM (#6525527)
I prefer

"Steve Jobs Tortures Chinese slaves from beyond the grave."

Re:Foxconn using forced student labor to build Sony’s PS4 by nilved on Wednesday October 09, 2013 @10:03PM (#6525255)
Indeed. This title should properly reflect that Sony is responsible.
Re:Foxconn using forced student labor to build Sony’s PS4 by 2muchcoffeeman on Wednesday October 09, 2013 @10:48PM (#6525390)
Maybe they don't know though. Imagine you contract out some work, say building a website, to party A. How do you know they did it? Maybe they sub-contract.

While I'm sure Sony's contract has lots of details in it, there is probably no "don't trick university students" clause and Foxconn saw an opportunity to do something underhanded and increase profits.

Re:Foxconn using forced student labor to build Sony’s PS4 by jm4 on Thursday October 10, 2013 @12:04AM (#6525585)
It's someone's job to know. I knew a buyer at a major office supply company. The buyers' responsibilities included occasional visits to the factories where suppliers made the products that were bought and then put on sale in the stores. This particular company had standards that they held suppliers to. When a buyer found workers at a factory with duct tape on their mouths, people living in squalor in the "dormitories", child labor or any other nonsense it was not uncommon for those suppliers to be thrown out of the store if it was not corrected. This was for a few million dollars worth of back to school supplies.

There's no way someone enters into a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract for high end electronics without ever visiting the factory and knowing what goes on there. They know damn well what kind of conditions exist and chose to do business with the supplier anyway. If they didn't know then they're too stupid to have their job.

Re:Foxconn using forced student labor to build Sony’s PS4 by 2muchcoffeeman on Thursday October 10, 2013 @01:12AM (#6525757)
I may just be cynical but I think there are still shenanigans going on. Like the link posted above

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6525582

You can't be everywhere all the time and you have to actively do audits to make sure you're satisfied with your factory conditions.....

Re:Foxconn using forced student labor to build Sony’s PS4 by joesb on Thursday October 10, 2013 @12:27AM (#6525630)
But even if you personally visit the factory, how do you know that guy in a mouth cover working over there is a college student being forced to work?
Re:Foxconn using forced student labor to build Sony’s PS4 by icelancer on Thursday October 10, 2013 @12:21AM (#6525612)
They absolutely know.

I awarded a Chinese factory with a low five figures contract and I know exactly how everything is processed and made. For billions of dollars or purchase orders, I am pretty sure you can expect at least the same level of service.

Re:Foxconn using forced student labor to build Sony’s PS4 by lauraura on Wednesday October 09, 2013 @10:57PM (#6525407)
From what I recall this is actually against the code of conduct that Sony makes all their suppliers sign (which includes a prohibition on forced labor), so it's probably a breach of contract.
Re:Foxconn using forced student labor to build Sony’s PS4 by dcu on Wednesday October 09, 2013 @10:05PM (#6525259)
I think Apple uses foxconn as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxconn#Major_customers

Re:Foxconn using forced student labor to build Sony’s PS4 by nwh on Wednesday October 09, 2013 @10:19PM (#6525307)
They do. I remember all of the parts in my G4 Cube having "FOXCONN" stamped into them.
Re:Foxconn using forced student labor to build Sony’s PS4 by girvo on Wednesday October 09, 2013 @10:22PM (#6525317)
I'm sure that we will see that headline applied to this case as well with other media outlets.