Crime & Safety
DA Rosell Announces Consumer Protection Settlement Against Apple
The state of California will receive $24.6 million from the Apple, Inc. settlement.
Press release from the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office:
The Santa Cruz County District Attorney Consumer Affairs and Environmental Protection Units, working in conjunction with several consumer protection prosecutors throughout the state, have reached a settlement in the amount of $24.6 million for the state of California. This California judgment will be entered as part of a $113 million-dollar, multi-state settlement with attorney generals from 33 other states.
The California lawsuit alleges Apple instructed consumers to download iPhone software updates and failed to disclose that this would slow down performance in many iPhone versions. The iPhones affected by these software updates included the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, first generation iPhone SE, iPhone 7, and iPhone 7 Plus.
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The investigation was originally initiated and organized by the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Consumer Fraud and Environmental Protection Units working with Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Consumer Protection Division.
A task force was formed that also included the California Attorney General’s Office and District Attorneys from Alameda, San Diego, and Santa Clara counties. Apple Inc. has agreed to maintain easily accessible and prominent webpages that provide information to consumers about lithium-ion batteries, unexpected shutdowns, and performance management.
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They must also provide guidance to consumers on steps they can take to maximize battery health.
Additionally, Apple Inc. agreed to notify consumers in a clear and conspicuous manner if a future iOS update materially changes performance management features. District Attorney Jeffrey Rosell stated that his office is committed to be on the leading edge of consumer protection in California.
He said, “We are proud to be one of the initiating prosecutorial agencies in this consumer protection case. Our office works diligently to protect the people of Santa Cruz County, even against the largest corporations in the world. We are committed to protecting the rights of all California consumers, especially those in Santa Cruz County, and work collaboratively with other agencies to achieve this goal.
This press release was produced by the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office. The views expressed here are the author's own.
