A consumer advocacy group is suing Apple for about €180m in four European countries for allegedly duping users into downloading updates that deliberately slowed down their iPhones.
The legal actions mirror a class action in the US that led to a proposed settlement there worth up to $500m, following allegations that Apple engineered the software updates to induce users to buy newer models. Apple agreed to the US settlement in March, admitting no wrongdoing but saying it wanted to avoid protracted litigation.
“Apple pushed updates to mask problems with the battery, knowing it would slow down phones,” said Els Bruggeman, head of policy and enforcement at Euroconsumers, the consumer advocacy group behind the new lawsuits.