Controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
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2021
Lawsuit alleges iOS updates reduced performance and battery life
Lawsuit filed
A lawsuit alleged that iOS 14.5, 14.5.1 and 14.6 had performance-throttling and battery-drain problems, and accused Apple of seeking to deceive users into downloading software updates that slow iPhones and encourage purchases of new phones. The source does not identify the filing date.
Source excerpt
该诉讼称，许多用户都报告了iOS 14.5、iOS 14.5.1和iOS 14.6在性能节流和电池消耗方面存在的问题。
从本质上讲，该诉讼指控苹果表面上是在试图欺骗用户下载软件更新从而降低iPhone的运行速度以吸引用户购买新手机。
2021
US Justice Department investigates Apple Sign in with Apple requirements
Investigation
The article reports that the US Department of Justice was investigating Apple over its requirement that apps using Google or Facebook login buttons also offer Sign in with Apple. Developers had complained about the requirement; the article does not report a determination.
Company response
Clarification — 苹果
他表示，该公司之前与部分开发商合作制定了指导原则，并获得了积极反馈。
Source excerpt
但苹果却强制使用 谷歌和Facebook登录按钮的应用必须提供“苹果登录”按钮。
他表示，该公司之前与部分开发商合作制定了指导原则，并获得了积极反馈。
新浪科技讯 2月24日上午消息，据报道，知情人士透露，美国司法部正就 苹果强制应用开发者使用“苹果登录”（Sign in with Apple）按钮一事展开反垄断调查。
2021
Report scrutinizes Apple’s data handling and app censorship in China
Issue disclosure
A report described Apple’s transfer of Chinese customer data to servers in China and removal or blocking of apps in its China App Store. Apple disputed the reported app-removal figures and said it follows laws it is obligated to follow.
Company response
Clarification — Apple
Apple contests these numbers, stating “that some developers removed their own apps from China.”
Source excerpt
Apple contests these numbers, stating “that some developers removed their own apps from China.”
A New York Times report has Apple under scrutiny for concessions it has made for China, including moving client data to servers in the communist mainland and censoring apps on the Apple App Store.
2021
UK CMA investigates Apple over App Store terms
Investigation
The UK Competition and Markets Authority launched an investigation into Apple after complaints alleged that its App Store terms for developers were unfair and anti-competitive. The CMA said no decision had yet been made on whether Apple was breaking the law.
Source excerpt
The Competition and Markets Authority said Thursday it was looking into “suspected breaches of competition law” by Apple.
U.K. authorities have launched an investigation into Apple’s App Store over concerns it has a dominant role that stifles competition and hurts consumers.
The CMA has launched an investigation into Apple following complaints that its terms and conditions for app developers are unfair and anti-competitive.
2020
Environmental, sourcing, and repair-policy criticism
The company has been criticized over materials sourcing, environmental effects, product repair restrictions, and the broader consequences of tightly controlled hardware design.
2020
Director sues Apple over alleged copying in Servant
Lawsuit filed
Director Francesca Gregorini sued Apple, alleging that the plot of its thriller series Servant copied her 2013 movie The Truth About Emanuel. Apple declined to comment on the case.
Source excerpt
Apple has declined to comment on the case.
Director Francesca Gregorini has sued Apple and M. Night Shyamalan for allegedly copying the plot of her 2013 movie The Truth About Emanuel in the thriller series . The streaming show supposedly has "strikingly similar" plot elements, including an "almost irrational reciprocal devotion" between a mother and her nanny following the loss of a child, with that same mother funneling her energy into a doll.Servant
2020
Families sue technology companies over alleged cobalt supply-chain abuses
Lawsuit filed
International Rights Advocates filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., alleging that Tesla, Apple, Microsoft, Dell and Google parent Alphabet were complicit in a forced-labor system connected to the deaths or serious injuries of children mining cobalt. The allegations are claims in the lawsuit, not findings of liability.
Company response
Investigation — Dell
In response to a request for comment, Dell said in an email that it has “never knowingly sourced operations” using child labour and has launched an investigation into the allegations.
Source excerpt
Filed on Sunday by International Rights Advocates, the case marked the first time the tech industry jointly has faced legal action over the source of its cobalt.
Tesla, Apple, Microsoft, Dell and Google‘s parent company Alphabet have been identified in a lawsuit as part of a system of forced labour that 14 families claim led to the death or serious injury of their children.
In response to a request for comment, Dell said in an email that it has “never knowingly sourced operations” using child labour and has launched an investigation into the allegations.
2020
Masimo sues Apple over Apple Watch technology
Lawsuit filed
Masimo and its spin-off Cercacor filed a lawsuit against Apple, alleging that Apple obtained confidential information and infringed 10 patents by using related inventions in Apple Watch products. The allegations are presented as claims made by the plaintiffs and are not described as a court determination.
Masimo and its spin-off Cercacor filed suit against Apple, alleging that Apple obtained confidential information and infringed 10 patents by using related inventions in Apple Watch products. The allegations are not presented as a court determination.
Source excerpt
诉讼称苹果侵犯了Masimo的10项专利，并将其应用到Apple Watch Series 4和Apple Watch Series 5等最新产品上。
美国当地时间周四，医疗技术公司Masimo将苹果告上法庭，指控后者窃取其商业机密，并在其智能手表Apple Watch中不当使用Masimo与健康监测相关的发明。
Medical technology Company Masimo Corporation and its spin-off Cercacor filed a complaint against Apple claiming that Apple has infringed on 10 of its patents with the Apple Watch.
2020
Apple sues Corellium over alleged copyright violations
Lawsuit filed
Apple filed a lawsuit against Corellium, alleging that Corellium copied Apple code, graphical interfaces and icons in its virtual versions of Apple devices. In response, Corellium said it was deeply disappointed by Apple's position on jailbreaking. The dispute centers on Apple's copyright claims regarding its code and interface elements as reproduced in Corellium's virtual device products, and on Corellium's stated disagreement with Apple's stance toward jailbreaking.
Apple sued Corellium, alleging that Corellium copied Apple code, graphical interfaces and icons in its virtual versions of Apple devices. Corellium said it was deeply disappointed by Apple's position on jailbreaking.
Source excerpt
Apple sues Corellium
According to the complaint by Apple, the product Corellium offers is a "virtual" version of Apple mobile hardware products, accessible to anyone with a web browser.
"Corellium simply copies everything: the code, the graphical user interface, the icons - all of it, in exacting detail...providing its users with the tools to do the same," it added.
2020
House Judiciary Committee questions tech CEOs in market-power investigation
Investigation
On July 29, 2020, the House Judiciary Committee questioned the CEOs of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google at a hearing held as part of an investigation into their companies' potential anticompetitive behavior. The hearing brought the chief executives of the four technology companies before the committee in connection with that investigation. The event was reported by Law Street Media under the headline that the tech CEOs faced a congressional hearing over anticompetitive behavior.
Source excerpt
On Wednesday, lawmakers questioned four tech CEOs about the market power of their companies. The nearly six-hour hearing was conducted by the House Judiciary Committee as part of an investigation into the potential anticompetitive behavior of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google.
2020
California Supreme Court rules for Apple Store employees in unpaid search case
Ruling
The California Supreme Court ruled that unpaid mandatory bag or iPhone searches of Apple Store employees at the end of their shifts violated state law. The ruling did not decide the amount Apple may owe, and the case was headed back to the Ninth Circuit.
Source excerpt
Given the size of the class as well as the breadth of time, Apple is looking at a potentially hefty sum it must fork over for unpaid time—though it was not within the Supreme Court’s purview to decide on those specifics.
The California Supreme Court sided with Apple Store employees in a ruling yesterday, stating that unpaid mandatory bag or iPhone searches at the end of retail workers’ shifts are a violation of state law.
2020
French watchdog fines Apple over iPhone slowdown disclosure
Fine or penalty
France's Competition and Fraud body fined Apple $27 million for not informing iPhone owners that software updates were likely to slow their devices. The watchdog characterized the omission as a misleading commercial practice; Apple did not contest the decision and said its goal was to create secure products and make iPhones last as long as possible.
Source excerpt
France's consumer watchdog, Directorate-General for Competition, Consumption and the Suppression of Fraud (DGCCRF), has fined Apple 25 million euros for intentionally slowing down iPhones in the region.
France's Competition and Fraud body, the DGCCRF, still holds Apple accountable for not informing owners of what was going on, which it says: "constituted a misleading commercial practice by omission."
The company has just been fined $27 million by the French government for not informing owners about what it was doing.
2020
Court orders Apple and Broadcom to pay Caltech $1.1 billion in patent damages
Ruling
A California court ordered Apple and Broadcom to pay a collective $1.1 billion in damages for patent infringement. Apple and Broadcom denied infringement and said they would appeal the verdict.
Company response
Denial — Apple Inc.
Apple and Broadcom did confirm that they will appeal the verdict, denying the infringement of the patents at all.
Denial — Broadcom Inc.
Apple and Broadcom did confirm that they will appeal the verdict, denying the infringement of the patents at all.
Denial — Apple
Apple argues that these patents were invalid and is going to appeal the decision.
Source excerpt
In this year’s biggest jury verdict from this year, Apple Inc. and Broadcom Inc. have been ordered by a California Court to pay a collective $1.1 billion in damages for patent infringement.
Apple and Broadcom did confirm that they will appeal the verdict, denying the infringement of the patents at all.
Both Apple and Broadcom indicated they planned to appeal the verdict, AFP reported.
2020
French regulator fines Apple over anti-competitive sales and distribution practices
Fine or penalty
France's national competition regulator fined Apple $1.23 billion over anti-competitive practices in its sales and distribution networks. According to the regulator, two wholesalers agreed not to compete with each other and prevented distributors from competing. Apple stated that it disagreed with the decision and planned to appeal.
France’s national competition regulator fined Apple $1.23 billion for anti-competitive practices in its sales and distribution networks. The regulator said two wholesalers agreed not to compete and prevented distributors from competing; Apple said it disagreed with the decision and planned to appeal.
Company response
Denial — Apple
They added that they strongly disagree with this decision and plan to appeal.
Source excerpt
Apple is being ordered to pay up €1.1 billion ($1.2 billion), while Tech Data was fined €76.1 million and Ingram Micro €62.9 million in the fine.
We strongly disagree with them and plan to appeal.
Apple, along with its wholesale distribution partners Ingram Micro and Tech Data, have been accused and fined by the French competition authority (Autorité de la Concurrence), over operating a cartel — affecting pricing and who could sell products — for virtually all Apple products including computers and tablets, but not the iPhone (which is often sold via mobile phone distributors and carriers).
2020
Musk criticizes recent iPhone software updates
Issue disclosure
In an interview during the Satellite 2020 conference, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said that some recent iPhone software updates seemed to have damaged its email system. The remark was reported in a news item dated March 10, 2020. The statement concerned Apple's iPhone software updates and their apparent effect on the email system, as described by Musk. No further details, responses, or outcomes were provided in the source.
At an interview during the Satellite 2020 conference, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said some recent iPhone software updates seemed to have damaged its email system.
Source excerpt
埃隆·马斯克(Elon Musk)表示，人们已经习惯于手机每年越来越好，但最近的一些iPhone软件更新包就不够好，似乎破坏了其电子邮件系统。
2020
Pro Music Rights files antitrust lawsuit alleging industry cartel conduct
Lawsuit filed
Pro Music Rights said it sued the music industry, alleging an illegal cartel involving performance rights. The release identifies Apple, Inc. in the case caption and names several organizations it describes as coordinators of the alleged cartel; the allegations are not presented as court findings.
Source excerpt
Filed in Connecticut federal court, Pro Music Rights, LLC v. Apple, Inc. et al., 3:20-cv-00309, Pro Music Rights' behemoth antitrust lawsuit joins the coordinators of the music cartel: Digital Media Association, National Religious Broadcasters Music License Committee, Radio Music License Committee, Inc., The National Association of American Wineries, and Television Music License Committee, LLC.
Today, Pro Music Rights, LLC sued the entire music industry for running an illegal cartel for the performance rights of musical works.
2020
Ubisoft sues Apple and Google over Area F2
Lawsuit filed
Ubisoft sued Apple and Google in federal court in Los Angeles, seeking to force the companies to remove the game Area F2 from their platforms. Ubisoft alleged that Area F2 copied virtually every aspect of its game Rainbow Six: Siege. The dispute concerns the distribution of Area F2 through the two companies' platforms, with Ubisoft pursuing removal of the game.
Stated objective. Force Apple and Google to remove Area F2 from their platforms.
Source excerpt
Ubisoft has now sued both companies in the federal court at Los Angeles and will try to force them to remove the game from their platforms.
"Virtually every aspect of AF2 is copied from R6S, from the operator selection screen to the final scoring screen, and everything in between."
Since the companies aren't taking the game down, it decided to take legal action against them.
2020
Eggshell Apartment app removed after image-use complaint
Issue disclosure
Eggshell Apartment said its app was removed from Apple's App Store after a U.S. software company complained that two supplier-provided images in the app had been made using its software without effective authorization, allegedly infringing its intellectual property. Eggshell said it removed the disputed images and was communicating with Apple about relisting the app.
Company response
Remediation — 蛋壳公寓
蛋壳公寓在收到投诉后，找到相应供应商沟通，并从App上删除了争议图片。
Ongoing disclosure — 蛋壳公寓
目前，蛋壳公寓也正在与苹果公司积极沟通，确保其能够结合事实作出正确的判断，争取尽快在苹果应用商店中重新上架蛋壳公寓App。
Source excerpt
目前，蛋壳公寓也正在与苹果公司积极沟通，确保其能够结合事实作出正确的判断，争取尽快在苹果应用商店中重新上架蛋壳公寓App。
蛋壳公寓相关负责人回应称，App被下降原因已经查明，某美国软件公司向苹果应用商店投诉，质疑蛋壳公寓App有2张供应商提供的图片使用其软件制作，但未得到有效授权，涉嫌侵犯其知识产权，随后蛋壳公寓App被苹果应用商店下架。
蛋壳公寓在收到投诉后，找到相应供应商沟通，并从App上删除了争议图片。
2020
Apple agreed to an $18 million FaceTime lawsuit settlement
Settlement
Apple agreed to pay $18 million to claimants in a class-action lawsuit alleging that it intentionally disabled FaceTime on older iPhone models as a cost-saving measure. The settlement was reported as reached; the source does not give the date it occurred.
Source excerpt
A court filing surfaced earlier this week that shows Apple has settled a class-action lawsuit brought against it by users of older iPhone models.
Apple has agreed to pay out $18 million to the claimants who argued that Apple had disabled FaceTime on iPhone 4 and 4s smartphones as a cost-saving measure in 2014.
Apple has agreed to settle a $18 million lawsuit that was filed over 3 years ago over its handling of FaceTime with users having an iPhone 4 or an iPhone 4s.
2020
Apple reaffirms rejection of Hey app updates
Issue disclosure
Apple reaffirmed its decision to reject updates to Basecamp's Hey email app, stating that Basecamp must comply with its developer guidelines to continue updating the iOS app or to release a Mac version. Basecamp objected to Apple's in-app-purchase requirements. The reported event also raised concerns about inconsistent enforcement of rules and about anticompetitive advantage.
Source excerpt
苹果公司坚定支持其拒绝更新iOS系统上新的邮件服务应用程序Hey的决定。
随着本周早些时候Hey的正式发布，苹果公司与Hey的争议也已开始，并引发对苹果商店管理的问题，即苹果手机制造商是否对来自第三方开放商的参与竞争的服务使用反竞争优势（anti-competitive advantage），包括收取30%的份额和不一致地运用苹果商店规则。