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Apple investigated by France for 'planned obsolescence'

8 January 2018

GETTY IMAGES

French prosecutors have launched a probe over allegations of "planned obsolescence"

in Apple's iPhone.

Under French law it is a crime to intentionally shorten lifespan of a product with the aim of
making customers replace it.

In December, Apple admitted that older iPhone models were deliberately slowed down
through software updates.

But it insisted it was because the phones' battery performance diminished over time.

The French investigation is being led by the economy ministry's consumer protection agency.

It follows a legal complaint filed in December by pro-consumer group Stop Planned

Obsolescence (Hop).

Hop said France was the third country to investigate Apple after Israel and the US, but the
only one in which the alleged offence was a crime. Penalties could include up to 5% of annual
turnover or even a jail term.

The group alleged that Apple had both deliberately slowed down some iPhone models
through a software update and timed the update to coincide with the release of the newer
model, the iPhone 8.

"The slowing down of older devices seems to have the deliberate aim of pushing Apple
customers towards purchasing the new model," the group said.

Hop has previously filed legal complaints against printer manufacturers Epson, Canon, HP
and Brother, alleging that the firms deliberately shorten the life of print cartridges.

Apple apologises for iPhone slowdowns

Is Apple getting sloppy?

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5/27/2019 Apple investigated by France for 'planned obsolescence' - BBC News

AFP

Buyers of the iPhone have shared anecdotes about the devices slowing down with age for
many years.

The company issued a public apology in December when confirmation came from users
running in-depth tests on their own devices and publishing the results.

Apple said the update was designed to extend the life of older phones as their batteries
became less capable of providing the power for high-speed operations.

"Lithium-ion batteries become less capable of supplying peak current demands... as they age
over time, which can result in the device unexpectedly shutting down to protect its electronic
components," the company said.

It said its update was made "to smooth out the instantaneous peaks only when needed".

It slashed the price of replacing an aged battery by two-thirds, which it said would restore
devices to their former speed, and pledged to be more transparent in future.

Related Topics

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Apple apologises for slowing older iPhones down
29 December 2017

Is Apple getting sloppy?

29 November 2017

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