Iowa Attorney General, Tom Miller, has joined 30 of his peers in announcing a $113 million settlement with Apple, Inc. regarding its 2016 decision to throttle consumers’ iPhone speeds to address unexpected shutdowns on some iPhones. A multi-state investigation led the attorneys general to allege that Apple had discovered battery issues were causing unexpected shutdowns on their phones. But rather than disclosing the issue to consumers or replacing batteries, Apple concealed the problem and initiated a software update that reduced performance. This, the attorneys say, led to a profit for Apple through sale of additional iPhones to affected consumers. “Apple never acknowledge a problem until iPhone customers discovered it and complained,” Miller says. “This settlement ensures the company provides clear and useful information to consumers going forward.” Under the judgment, Apple will pay $1,517,959 to the state of Iowa. They must also provide truthful information to consumers about iPhone battery health, performance and power management in various forms on its website, in update installation notes and in the iPhone user interface. Apple has recently also settled a class action lawsuit related to the same conduct and will pay out up to $500 million in consumer restitution to eligible iPhone users.
