Report: Apple Faces Probe by Multiple States over Deceptive Trade Practices

Tim _Apple_ Cook testifying via TV (Pool/Getty)
Pool/Getty

Multiple U.S. states have reportedly launched an investigation into tech giant Apple over allegations that the company deceived consumers. The new investigations come just years after “batterygate,” in which Apple was caught slowing down older iPhones via software updates.  The Masters of the Universe blamed battery health for the slowdown, which also conveniently made a new iPhone purchase more attractive.

Reuters reports that multiple U.S. states have launched an investigation into tech giant Apple for potentially deceiving consumers. A document from March obtained by the Tech Transparency Project shows that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton may sue Apple for violating the state’s laws relating to deceptive trade practices.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks outside the U.S. Supreme Court on November 01, 2021 in Washington, DC. On Monday, the Supreme Court heard arguments in a challenge to the controversial Texas abortion law which bans abortions after 6 weeks. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks outside the U.S. Supreme Court on November 01, 2021 in Washington, DC. On Monday, the Supreme Court heard arguments in a challenge to the controversial Texas abortion law which bans abortions after 6 weeks. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Apple CEO Tim Cook (JOSH EDELSON/AFP/Getty Images)

Reuters reached out to the office of Paxton, which declined to comment. Apple has previously faced class-action lawsuits from consumers alleging that the company lied about the performance of iPhone batteries.

In 2017, Apple announced plans to offer replacement batteries for older iPhone models for a fee. Tim Cook’s company agreed to service the phones after it was discovered that the company was purposefully slowing down older iPhone models via software updates. Apple claimed that the slowing of older iPhones was done to “smooth out the instantaneous peaks only when needed to prevent the device from unexpectedly shutting down” as batteries in older model iPhones aged. This led to an outcry across social media as iPhone users were angered that they had not been informed of this feature on their phone or given the option to replace their battery.

Apple paid $500 million to settle one of the iPhone battery lawsuits earlier this year. The tech giant is facing further lawsuits claiming that the company knew its “butterfly” keyboard design used in its MacBook laptops was extremely prone to failure.

Read more at Reuters here.

Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan or contact via secure email at the address lucasnolan@protonmail.com

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