Apple is facing a £750 million lawsuit in the United Kingdom.
That’s because a consumer rights activist has filed a claim over Apple’s ‘throttling’ of older iPhones, and it claims that Apple might need to pay around $900 million to 25 million people in the United Kingdom.
According to the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, the lawsuit could make Apple more upfront about its battery health and performance metrics and ensure customers aren’t misled in the future. The UK’s Competition Appeals Tribunal is now considering a legal claim over the matter, which could be one of Apple’s biggest.
It’s reported that consumer rights activist Justin Gutmann wants 25 million people who purchased particular iPhones in the United Kingdom during the period to be able to make a claim.
“I’m launching this case so that millions of iPhone users across the UK will receive redress for the harm suffered by Apple’s actions,” the activist told The Guardian newspaper. “If this case is successful, I hope dominant companies will re-evaluate their business models and refrain from this kind of conduct.”
The smartphones affected as part of the lawsuit include the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X. It was during a period in 2017 when Apple added a new battery feature to prevent older devices from shutting down. However, in doing so, Apple slowed down the devices.
In 2020, a similar case was upheld in the United States, and Apple set up a $500 million fund. Those who were affected could receive $25 in compensation.
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