Apple is fined by Europe for slowing down old iPhones!

Euroconsumers*, the group that brings legal action against Apple, said in a statement Wednesday, December 2nd, that judicial processes cover up to 2 million iPhone equipment 6, 6 Plus, 6S and 6S Plus Belgium, Spain, Italy and Portugal.

*Euroconsumers is a consumer rights organisation made up of 5 national associations.

Apple has faced public responses and legal action worldwide after accepting in 2017, that software updates designed to prevent battery decay in the old iPhone also slow down the equipment.

Euroconsumers' cases reflect an anti- Apple trial process in the United States that led to a proposed $500m settlement in March.

Last month, Apple paid $183m to resolve an investigation into the legal case by 34 American states, including California and Arizona.

“We are asking to be treated with the same justice and respect as American consumers”, said Euroconsumers chief of policy and implementation Els Bruggeman for CNN.

The group said efforts to resolve the Apple outside the court were unsuccessful. It is seeking compensation of $60 ($72.30), on average for each consumer.

FROM EUROCONSUMERS

If judicial processes succeed, they can cost Apple $ 180 million ($217 million) total, given Euroconsumers' estimates of the number of affected equipment.

“Consumers are increasingly concerned by products that are consumed very quickly, iPhone 6 models are a very concrete example of this,” said Bruggeman in a statement.

After a protest by disgruntled iPhone users, Apple apologized and made the replacements of the batteries cheaper, but she has been charged in previous court processes and in the current matter of deliberately slowing phones to encourage users to buy new ones, a practice the company denies.

We've done and never would. We will not deliberately shorten the life of any product”, Apple said in a statement in response to new indictments.

Cases in Belgium and Spain will be presented in court this week. Next week, Euroconsumers will attend cases in Italy and Portugal.

Italy's <x0trust Authority” fined Apple with $10m ($12m) in 2018 after discovering that it had deceived consumers into installing software updates on the old iPhone, without warning them of the effect on the equipment performance.

“Consumers no longer accept this kind of behavior. Not only does it cause disappointment and financial damage, but it is environmentally irresponsible action”, Bruggeman says.