The Consumers’ Association Euro consumers is suing Apple for approximately EUR 180 million in four European countries. Apple would have deliberately delayed the performance of older models iPhones through software updates. This has been done is to encourage users to buy new iPhones.
Earlier, the company was sued by dozens of American States for the same reason, and there was a class action case that had been filed by iPhone users. In those cases, Apple agreed to a settlement of $ 113 million and up to $ 500 million respectively.
“Apple has pushed updates, knowing it would slow down phones,” says Els Bruggeman, head of Policy and enforcement at Euro consumers, to the Financial Times.
European consumers want to be treated with the same respect consumers in the United States.
Last summer, Euro consumers sent letters to Apple requesting that the planned ageing be stopped and European consumers be compensated. Apple called the allegations “factually and legally incorrect”. In statement to the Financial Times, the company added:
Our goal has always been to make products that our customers love. Making sure iPhones last as long as possible is an important part of that.
Groups belonging to the European interest group are filing class action trials in Belgium and Spain on Wednesday. In Italy and Portugal, trials are planned in the coming weeks. The charges relate to over 3 million iPhones sold in the four countries between 2014 and 2020. On average, euro consumers require a fee of 60 euros per telephone.
