Apple has been fined $27 million by the French government for not informing owners about what it was doing.
In 2017, Apple confirmed that it did slow down some iPhones, but said it only did so to “prolong the life” of the devices.
Apple said in a statement that it had resolved the issue with the watchdog.
Following an investigation at the time that suggested a link between the performance capabilities of an iPhone and the age of its battery, Apple said it had released a patch for the iPhone 6, iPhone 6s, iPhone SE, and iPhone 7 that did slow them down. While some claimed this was planned obsolescence, the company said throttling the speed of the devices kept them working longer.
“Lithium-ion batteries become less capable of supplying peak current demands when in cold conditions, have a low battery charge or as they age over time, which can result in the device unexpectedly shutting down to protect its electronic components,” Apple wrote in 2017. It also offered a battery replacement program, which saw 11 million people pay $29 for a new component instead of the previous $79.
The fine was imposed by France’s competition and fraud watchdog, The Directorate General for Competition, Consumption and the Suppression of Fraud (DGCCRF) on the grounds that Apple did not inform users that iOS updates released for older iPhones could slow down their devices.
The report by DGCCRF comes in the aftermath of an earlier confirmation by Apple where the Cupertino-based company admitted the fact that it does slow down older iPhones, but only to “prolong the life” of the devices.
The French watchdog in a press release highlighted that iPhone users were not “informed that hat the iOS operating system (10.2.1 and 11.2) they were installing were likely to lead to a slowing down the operation of their device.”
Apple hasn’t contested the decision, and it must display a banner on Apple France’s iPhone page for one month stating it had misled customers, and that it has paid a fine.
In response to the DGCCRF’s announcement, Apple wrote: “Our goal has always been to create secure products appreciated by our clients, and making iPhones that last as long as possible is an important part of that.”
