European consumer bodies seek EUR 60 per user compensation from Apple

A grouping of five European consumer bodies operating under the name Euroconsumers has issued a cease and desist letter requiring Apple to end the practice of planned obsolescence of iPhones and compensate each affected user EUR 60. The matter dates back to the ‘batterygate’ controversy of 2016 when Apple was forced to offer discounted battery replacements to iPhone 6s users and admitted that it slowed down some iPhones to prevent shutdowns.

Euroconsumers has given Apple 15 days to formally respond to the letter asking the company to end planned obsolescence of iPhones and to compensate European consumers following the announcement of a proposed USD 310 million settlement in the US. “Consumers are increasingly frustrated by iPhones wearing out way too fast. They want to be treated with respect and demand concrete actions to rectify the situation and guarantee more sustainable phones,” said Euroconsumers Head of Policy and Enforcement Els Bruggeman.

In addition to the proposed preliminary settlement in the US, earlier this year Apple received a EUR 25 million fine from France's anti-fraud and consumer protection agency, while Italy’s main Italian administrative court of first instance recently confirmed a fine of EUR 10 million imposed by antitrust watchdog AGCM for unfair commercial practices.

Euroconsumers gathers the organisations Test Achats (Belgium, OCU (Spain), Deco-Proteste (Portugal) and Altroconsumo (Italy), with the support of Brazil’s Proteste.