SEOUL - Apple Inc. has been ordered by the Seoul High Court to pay 70,000 won (US$53.30) each to seven South Korean iPhone users for intentionally slowing down their devices following software updates. This ruling partially overturns previous decisions made by lower courts that had ruled against the plaintiffs.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Apple is liable to compensate the consumers as they experienced psychological harm due to the infringement of their right to choose. The case emerged from a larger lawsuit involving over 62,000 South Korean iPhone users who sought 200,000 won each in damages. They alleged that Apple deliberately slowed the performance of older iPhone models through software updates to encourage users to purchase new devices.
The seven plaintiffs who appealed to the high court succeeded in obtaining compensation. The court stated that even though the software update was intended to prevent device shutdown, it restricted CPU performance and other functions. "Apple had an obligation to provide adequate information to users to help them decide whether to install the update, but it failed to fulfill this obligation," the court said.
However, the court dismissed the plaintiffs' claims that Apple's update was equivalent to distributing malicious software or that it damaged their iPhone devices. This controversy, known as "batterygate," began in late 2017 when accusations surfaced that Apple was intentionally hindering the performance of certain iPhone models to extend battery life.
Initially, Apple denied deliberately slowing down iPhone batteries but later admitted to the practice, stating it was done to preserve battery life, not to coerce customers into buying new devices. Following the high court's decision, Apple issued a statement reaffirming that the company did not intentionally shorten the lifespan of its products or degrade user experience to prompt customer upgrades.