Italy’s anti-trust watchdog has fined Apple and Samsung €10m and €5m respectively for using software updates that would slow down their smartphones.
Italian competition authority @antitrust_it has fined Samsung and Apple for unfair practices. They found the companies released software which reduced phone performance and forced consumers to buy new phones. Good work @antitrust_it! https://t.co/9QqAmJHlq9 pic.twitter.com/Fs4nLSZabS
— The Consumer Voice (@beuc) October 24, 2018
In a statement the antitrust watchdog added: “Apple and Samsung implemented dishonest commercial practices” and that operating system updates “caused serious malfunctions and significantly reduced performance, thus accelerating phones’ substitution”.
Separately, Apple was fined an additional €5m fine for failing to give clients clear information about how to maintain or eventually replace handset batteries.
Apple had acknowledged last year that iPhone software had the effect of slowing down some phones with battery problems, but denied it had ever done anything to intentionally shorten the life of a product.
Italian consumer groups had complained that software updates for mobile phones reduced the functionality of the devices and were designed to push clients into buying new handsets.
Leave a Comment