France is accusing Apple of limiting the lifespan of its iPhones and other products.
Apple CEO Tim Cook waits to listen to US President Joe Biden speak at a TSMC semiconductor manufacturing facility on December 6, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP)
Because of this, a Paris prosecutor plans to act against the tech giant manufacturer.
The official confirmed this initiative on May 15, saying that an official investigation into accusations against Apple will happen.
The investigation, which was delegated to the Department of Competition, Consumer Affairs, and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF), is expected to prove that Apple breaks France's laws.
Once allegations against Apple are confirmed to be true, the Paris prosecutor could fine the gadget developer.
France Accuses Apple of Limiting iPhone Lifespan
According to Ars Technica's latest report, Apple is allegedly pursuing a business model of planned "obsolescence."
An employee works on smartphones reconditioning, mainly Iphone, at the Largo company headquarters which is a Back Market refurbishing company subcontractor, in Sainte-Luce-sur-Loire, outside Nantes, on January 26, 2021.
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For those unfamiliar with obsolescence, it is the method of designing products in a way that intentionally limits their lifespan.
Via The Wired, The Repair Academy CEO Alexandre Isaac said that the short lifespan of Apple products is a problem that keeps on getting worse.
He stated that his team always finds locked parts in newly released iPhones, such as a chip on the motherboard.
After that, discovers a list of parts with repair restrictions. These include the Face ID, Touch ID, camera, screen, and battery.
Isaac explained that forcing consumers to pay accredited technicians is like encouraging them to throw their devices away instead of fixing them.
This is because Apple repairs cost more than second-hand iPhones and other used Apple devices.
France Pushing Right To Repair
For the past few years, the French government has been pushing the right-to-repair movement.
One of France's efforts was to introduce Europe's first repairability scoring system.
France wants to take on Apple and how it designs and manufactures iPhones and other gadgets.
"France is pushing for the right to repair in ways that nobody else has yet," said iFixit Sustainability Director Elizabeth Chamberlain.
She added that it is the first time a movement against obsolescence is seen nationally.
If you want to learn more about France's allegations against Apple, you can click here.
In other news, Apple's generative AI job offerings were spotted on its official website.
We also reported about the new Apple TV Multiview feature that was previously unveiled.
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