Purported Chinese Assembly Line Video Pops Up on New HP Laptop

Ever wonder what life is really like inside a Chinese computer factory? This three-minute video, which appears to have been accidentally left on a new HP laptop, appears to offer a rare look into assembly line work in China.

Swedish YouTube user Anteboyanrox posted the video to YouTube and Reddit, saying the clip had come pre-loaded in his My Documents folder on his brand-new HP laptop.

Compared to all the controversy over poor working conditions and factory worker abuse at Foxconn manufacturing facilities (where Apple, HP, Dell, Amazon, and other products are made), this footage of workers testing laptops is pretty boring. The work is mundane and repetitious (as you might expect of an assembly line), but there are no signs of worker cruelty.

This doesnt mean factory workers in China dont deserve better working conditions or that unnecessary health and safety risks dont exist in those factories. A Fair Labor Association report in March revealed Foxconn factory workers were forced to work an excessive number of hours each week and not compensated for them. Workers were also exposed to a number of safety and health issues.

Weve seen behind-the-scenes videos inside Foxconn before, but no doubt they were sanitized PR stunts. This video appears to provide a unique candid look--at least for those three minutes in this one assembly line. Its a strangely fascinating glimpse into modern manufacturing (bonus video effects at the 2:00 mark).

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