France fines Apple millions
France has imposed a fine of millions on the technology company Apple for intentionally throttling the performance of iPhones. According to the Paris competition authority, the U.S. company must pay 25 million euros. The investigation focused on allegations of «planned obsolescence»—that is, intentionally shortening the lifespan of the phones to encourage customers to buy new ones.
The Directorate-General for Competition, Consumers and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF) at the French Ministry of the Economy accused Apple of "misleading business practices". The company has now agreed to pay the fine as part of a settlement. Apple welcomed the settlement. The company wanted to ensure "that iPhones last as long as possible", it said.
The Parisian consumer association Hop spoke of a "historic victory against the scandalous practice of disposable products". It had initiated the case. Specifically, the French competition authorities accuse Apple of not informing its customers that updates to the iOS operating system significantly slowed down their iPhones.
In Italy, the competition authorities had already fined Apple ten million euros in the fall of 2018, while Samsung had to pay five million euros. Apple had already admitted to throttling the speed of older smartphones in 2017. According to the company, however, this was merely to extend battery life. (SDA)
