Apple fined $40 million over software that deliberately slows old iPhones

Hicham Pawsfeed / Pawscast Editor, The Pawprint

French regulators have fined Apple €25 million (US$27.09 million) for intentionally slowing older iPhones (iPhone 6, SE models and iPhone 7) with software updates. In 2017 Apple released a version of its iOS operating system that slowed down its flagship models. Speculation initially started with a Reddit thread, and eventually shone a light on Apple’s manipulative business practices.

Over a two-year investigation, the  Paris Prosecutor’s Office, the Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF) gathered enough data to say that the practice was deliberate. 

The investigation found Apple guilty of “planned obsolescence” this the practice which involves the deliberate planning of having a product fail or function poorly over time, forcing consumers to purchase a new/updated model.