An employee of Apple (AAPL.US) has filed a lawsuit in a California state court, accusing the company of illegally monitoring employees' personal devices and iCloud accounts, while also prohibiting employees from discussing their salaries and work environment.

The lawsuit states that the company requires employees to install software on their personal devices used for work, allowing the company to read employees' emails, photo libraries, health and smart home data, and other personal information, and has implemented confidentiality policies that prohibit employees from discussing the work environment, including discussions with the media that are protected by law. Furthermore, the suing employee claims to have been instructed not to discuss work on podcasts and was also directed to remove information about their work status on LinkedIn.

The lawsuit claims that Apple's monitoring policy unlawfully restricts employees' ability to whistleblow, compete, change jobs freely, and exercise freedom of speech.

Apple stated that the accusations are unfounded, and employees have been informed of their rights to discuss their work.