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A consumer advocacy group in Europe has filed the latest class action lawsuit against Apple, claiming the company intentionally strangled older iPhones in Italy. First reported by TechCrunch, the new lawsuit seeks 60 million euros (approximately $ 73 million) in compensation – or about 60 euros per device – for owners of iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6S and 6S Plus models sold in Italy between 2014 and 2020. Euroconsumers, an umbrella An advocacy organization in the EU that includes the Italian Altroconsumo, says the compensation of € 60 is the average amount paid by consumers to replace the batteries in their devices.
“When consumers buy Apple iPhones, they expect quality products that last. Unfortunately, that’s not what happened with the iPhone 6 series, ”said Els Bruggeman, policy and enforcement manager at Euroconsumers, in a statement. “Not only have consumers been conned, and faced with frustration and financial harm, but from an environmental point of view, it’s also totally irresponsible.”
Euroconsumers filed two similar lawsuits in December on behalf of the member organizations Test-Achats in Belgium and OCU in Spain. The group said in a press release that they are planning a fourth trial in Portugal.
“We have never done – and never would – do anything to intentionally shorten the lifespan of an Apple product, or to degrade the user experience to promote customer upgrades,” said one. Apple spokesperson in an email to The edge. “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 agreed to a $ 500 million settlement in the United States last March, after admitting it slowed down older iPhones. He compensated consumers who bought an iPhone 6 or 7, which were slowed down to preserve battery life. The case arose out of the tech giant “Batterygate” controversy, when iPhone users discovered in 2017 that iOS was limiting processor speeds as iPhone batteries aged. Apple hasn’t revealed to consumers that the feature – intended to fix phone performance issues – exists. Users said that if they had been made aware of the slowdown feature, they would have simply replaced the battery rather than buying a brand new phone like many have.
The company agreed to a second settlement in November – this time with 34 U.S. states – for an additional $ 113 million. State attorneys general said Apple had “fully understood” that by covering up the intentional slowdown in older phones, the company could benefit from buying new phones rather than replacing batteries. Apple has not admitted any of the claims contained in this settlement.
Updated January 25, 10:45 a.m.ET: Adds a comment from Apple spokesperson.
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