Apple faces two lawsuits over intentional iPhone slowdowns
The class action suits allege people are being forced to upgrade phones early.
Well that was quick. Just two days after Apple admitted that it intentionally slowed down older iPhones with older batteries (to prevent sudden unexpected shutdowns), the company is being sued. Both suits claim that Apple does this to force customers into a shortened upgrade cycle.
The Atlas Consumer Law group in Chicago claims that Apple is, therefore, in violation of deceptive business laws in Illinois, as well as in Indiana and North Carolina. "Apple's failure to inform consumers these updates would wreak havoc on the phone's performance is being deemed purposeful, and if proven, constitutes the unlawful and decisive withholding of material information," says the press release for the lawsuit. The California suit is similar, though it focuses on wanting Apple to have asked consumers for consent to slow their iPhones as well as giving them the ability to opt out of such a slowdown, according to Quartz.
