U.S. Investigates Apple Over Software Updates That Slow Older iPhones: Report
January 31, 2018
U.S. Investigates Apple Over Software Updates That Slow Older iPhones: Report
The U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission are investigating whether Apple violated securities laws in how it disclosed information about software updates that slowed older iPhones, according to published reports.
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Apple acknowledged it’s responding to questions from government agencies, in a statement to Reuters. But a spokesperson also referenced an earlier statement that it would never “do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product or degrade the user experience.”
Consumers responded angrily last year when reports revealed that Apple was deliberately slowing older generations of iPhone through its periodic updates to the phone’s software. Some filed suit. The company issued a rare public apology in December, saying it took these steps to prevent phones with degraded batteries from randomly shutting down.
Apple tried to make amends by offering to replace aging iPhone batteries for $29, instead of the usual $79 fee. It has also promised to include a new feature in its next operating system update that lets iPhone users check the health of their iPhone’s battery.
This acknowledgement produced further backlash, with more than 30 suits filed in the U.S. alone, and government officials like U.S. Sen. John Thune singling out Apple for criticism.
“Even if Apple’s actions were indeed only intended to avoid unexpected shutdowns in older phones, the large volume of consumer criticism leveled against the company in light of its admission suggests that there should have been better transparency with respect to these practices,” Thune wrote in a letter to Cook.
Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook acknowledged, in an interview with ABC News, when he said, “maybe we should have been clearer” in communicating with consumers.
Neither Apple nor the Department of Justice responded to a request for comment. An SEC spokesperson declined comment on the reports.