Ryan Tate in Gawker:

Apple products are made in factories that regularly employ young teenagers, constantly work people more than 60 hours per week, and falsify records to cover up their misdeeds.

The only problem with Tate’s statement? Facts. What’s his source?

That’s according to the shameless gossiping muckrakers at… uh, Apple Inc.

Apple released a Supplier Responsibility 2010 Progress Report (PDF) which disclosed three instances which violated Apple’s policies.

Apple discovered three facilities that had previously hired 15-year-old workers in countries where the minimum age for employment is 16. Across the three facilities, our auditors found records of 11 workers who had been hired prior to reaching the legal age, although the workers were no longer underage or no longer in active employment at the time of our audit.

From that, Tate castigates Apple by writing that the company regularly hires underage workers, and constantly work them beyond 60 hours a week.

Tate’s accusations put Gawker Valleywag clearly in the category of Fox News. What’s fair and balanced is really inaccurate and distorted for the sole purpose of sensationalizing issues.