Apple Fined 10 Million Euros in Italy for ‘Misleading’ iPhone Claims

The authority said Apple’s disclaimer that warranty does not cover liquid damage was misleading.

By Agence France-Presse | Updated: 30 November 2020 18:19 IST

Apple Fined 10 Million Euros in Italy for ‘Misleading’ iPhone Claims

It cited promotional claims relating to the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone XR, iPhone XS models and more

Highlights

Italy's competition authority said Apple mislead users of iPhone models
It said Apple's refusal amounted to "an aggressive commercial practice"
The authority imposed penalties on Apple Italia

Italy's competition authority said Monday it had fined Apple EUR 10 million (roughly Rs. 90 crores) for misleading claims about the 'water-resistant properties' of various iPhone models.

It said the US tech giant "did not make it clear that this feature exists under certain specific conditions", notably in laboratory tests with static and pure water, "and not under normal conditions of use".

It cited promotional claims relating to the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone 11, iPhone 11pro and iPhone 11 pro Max models.

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The authority also rapped Apple for a disclaimer that the warranty for the smartphones did not cover damage caused by liquids, saying it "was deemed to mislead consumers".

In addition, it said Apple's refusal to provide warranty service when the iPhone models concerned were damaged by liquids amounted to "an aggressive commercial practice".

"For these reasons, the authority has decided to impose penalties totalling EUR 10 million (roughly Rs. 90 crores) on Apple Distribution International and on Apple Italia," it said in a statement.

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