application of US sanctions laws targeting Iran.
In a joint letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook, drafted following reports of Farsi-speaking American customers being denied service at company stores, the coalition said:
“We would like to bring to your attention the practical nationwide application of Apple’s policies reflecting US embargo laws with the expectation of minimizing any future incidents involving misinterpretation of US law and/or potential discriminatory practices by Apple employees.
“We understand that Apple’s official company policy at issue in the abovementioned incidents is almost verbatim taken from the Iranian Transaction Regulations…. However, at issue here is the correct application of that policy by Apple’s employees….
“If the Apple employees’ conduct was based upon the mere fact that the individuals mentioned above were speaking the Farsi/Persian language and Apple’s policy is to deny sales to customers merely based on a foreign language being spoken, this would be at best a gross misinterpretation of the sanctions targeting Iran and a violation of federal law at worst.”
Sahar Sabet, the woman who reported being denied the sale of an iPad, said the Apple clerk asked her what language she was speaking and then denied her the sale when she replied that she and her uncle were speaking Farsi.
The letter continues: “Of additional concern is the inconsistent manner in which Apple is attempting to enforce the embargo law. Is Apple asking all customers about the ultimate destination of its products? Is Apple relying on customers volunteering that information? Is Apple’s policy that customers may purchase whatever items they like as long as they do not mention or imply the destination of the items? That is, is Apple training its retail employees to enforce a policy that inherently requires its employees to determine the nationality of a client in a manner that violates federal civil rights laws? To ensure consistency in enforcement, we ask that Apple adopt standardized practices that would apply to every customer at the time of purchase.”
Initial news reports said Sabet was trying to buy the iPad to send to her cousin in Iran, which is not permitted under the US embargo. Later, however, she said she sought to buy the iPad as a gift for her sister in North Carolina.
The letter went on: “We therefore ask that you take the necessary steps to properly investigate the incidents reported and train your entire sales staff about the proper application of Apple’s export compliance policy. We also ask that you issue a formal apology to any customers who may have been harmed by the application of your current policy referenced above for the harm caused to them by any Apple employees.”
The Organizations sponsoring the joint letter to Apple include: Iranian American Bar Association; American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Georgia; Asian Law Caucus; Council on American-Islamic Relations; National Iranian American Council; PARS Equality Center; and the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans.
