Apple has been sued for over $200 million on allegations that it deliberately slowed down iPhones to mask problems with the batteries. The lawsuits are being made by a consumer advocacy group Euroconsumers in Europe.
This is similar to the class action that was filed in the US following allegations that Apple software updates were intended to slow down phones and make consumers buy newer models and the case was settled at $500 million.
“Apple pushed updates to mask problems with the battery, knowing it would slow down phones,” said Els Bruggeman, head of policy and enforcement at Euroconsumers.
The company is filing class-action lawsuits in Belgium and Spain, and additional lawsuits will be filed in Italy and Portugal in the coming week. The class action relates to three million units sold of iPhone 6, iPhone 7, and iPhone SE in these four countries between 2014 and 2020.
And in a statement to the Financial Times:
Our goal has always been to create products that our customers love, and making iPhones last as long as possible is an important part of that.
Apple started facing backlash in 2017 when they admitted to slowing down iPhones, saying it trying to manage power on older phones to prevent unexpected shutdowns.
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