Apple Execs Now Facing Jail Time For Deliberately Slowing Down IPhones
https://www.naturalblaze.com/2017/12/apple-sl...-jail.html
Apple stands accused of breaking a French law which makes it illegal to “deliberately reduce the lifespan of a product to increase the rate of replacement.”
After a report and subsequent bombshell admission last week by Apple—that they are deliberately slowing down phones in an effort to make them ‘perform better’—lawsuits have sprung up across the nation. Now, however, in France, Apple executives are facing far more than a potential civil suit, they are facing actual jail time.
In August 2015, France passed a law that makes it a crime to “deliberately reduce the lifespan of a product to increase the rate of replacement.” The aptly named group, Halte à l’Obsolescence Programmée (HOP – Stop Planned Obsolescence), has brought the criminal lawsuit against Apple this week.
If convicted of deliberate planned obsolescence, the tech giant’s executives found responsible will be jailed for up to two years and may have to forfeit up to 300,000 euros, and five percent of the firm’s annual turnover.
“Apple has put in place a global strategy of programmed obsolescence in order to boost its sales” of new iPhones, the group said.
According to the French Newspaper, The Local, HOP believes that the US firm can be sued over the sale of all iPhones in France since the introduction of a law in August 2015 that made it a crime to “deliberately reduce the lifespan of a product to increase the rate of replacement.”
SEE: Apple’s New Wireless Headset Emits Radiation Into Your Brain
It believes Apple could be liable for a fine in line with the value of all its iPhone French sales since the law came into force.
The suit will be heard in a criminal court if prosecutors decide it is legitimate.
“Everything is organized to force consumers to renew their smartphones,” said Laetitia Vasseur, the co-founder of HOP.
“However, when the phone is priced at 1,200 euros, which is more than the SMIC (the minimum monthly wage in France), these practices are unacceptable and must be punished.”
“It is our mission to defend consumers and the environment against this waste organized by Apple,” she said.
As TFTP reported last week, this discussion about throttled processor speed began after a Reddit post went viral earlier this month. The Redditor wrote that Apple appears to be slowing down old iPhones that have low-capacity batteries. After this post went viral, Apple was forced to respond and admitted to it.
According to Apple, this deliberate throttling of processor speeds on older phones is an effort to keep them running smoothly. Apple claims they are slowing down your older iPhone so they can keep your iPhone from unexpectedly shutting down.
https://www.naturalblaze.com/2017/12/apple-sl...-jail.html
Apple stands accused of breaking a French law which makes it illegal to “deliberately reduce the lifespan of a product to increase the rate of replacement.”
After a report and subsequent bombshell admission last week by Apple—that they are deliberately slowing down phones in an effort to make them ‘perform better’—lawsuits have sprung up across the nation. Now, however, in France, Apple executives are facing far more than a potential civil suit, they are facing actual jail time.
In August 2015, France passed a law that makes it a crime to “deliberately reduce the lifespan of a product to increase the rate of replacement.” The aptly named group, Halte à l’Obsolescence Programmée (HOP – Stop Planned Obsolescence), has brought the criminal lawsuit against Apple this week.
If convicted of deliberate planned obsolescence, the tech giant’s executives found responsible will be jailed for up to two years and may have to forfeit up to 300,000 euros, and five percent of the firm’s annual turnover.
“Apple has put in place a global strategy of programmed obsolescence in order to boost its sales” of new iPhones, the group said.
According to the French Newspaper, The Local, HOP believes that the US firm can be sued over the sale of all iPhones in France since the introduction of a law in August 2015 that made it a crime to “deliberately reduce the lifespan of a product to increase the rate of replacement.”
SEE: Apple’s New Wireless Headset Emits Radiation Into Your Brain
It believes Apple could be liable for a fine in line with the value of all its iPhone French sales since the law came into force.
The suit will be heard in a criminal court if prosecutors decide it is legitimate.
“Everything is organized to force consumers to renew their smartphones,” said Laetitia Vasseur, the co-founder of HOP.
“However, when the phone is priced at 1,200 euros, which is more than the SMIC (the minimum monthly wage in France), these practices are unacceptable and must be punished.”
“It is our mission to defend consumers and the environment against this waste organized by Apple,” she said.
As TFTP reported last week, this discussion about throttled processor speed began after a Reddit post went viral earlier this month. The Redditor wrote that Apple appears to be slowing down old iPhones that have low-capacity batteries. After this post went viral, Apple was forced to respond and admitted to it.
According to Apple, this deliberate throttling of processor speeds on older phones is an effort to keep them running smoothly. Apple claims they are slowing down your older iPhone so they can keep your iPhone from unexpectedly shutting down.
