Yahoo – AFP,
8 January 2018
 |
| Apple admitted that it intentionally slowed down older models of its iPhones over time |
Paris
prosecutors have launched a probe of US tech giant Apple over suspected
"planned obsolescence" in some of its iPhone models, a judicial
source told AFP on Monday.
It comes
after a complaint by the association Stop Planned Obsolescence (HOP or Halte a
l'Obsolescence Programmee) that followed Apple's admission last month that it
intentionally slowed down older models of its iPhones over time.
The investigation
was opened on Friday and is being led by anti-trust and consumer protection
specialists in the French economy ministry.
When
contacted by AFP, Apple France gave no comment on the matter.
Planned
obsolescence is a widely criticised commercial practice in which manufacturers
build in the expiry of their products so that consumers will be forced to
replace them.
It is
decried by consumer groups as being unethical and is suspected of being
particularly prevalent in the electronics industry, which produces mountains of
unrecyclable waste each year
To tackle
the problem, France passed landmark legislation in 2015 known as "Hamon's
law" which made the practice illegal and -- in theory -- obliged retailers
to say whether replacement parts were available.
The law,
named after former Socialist minister Benoit Hamon, stipulates that a company
found to be deliberately shortening the life of its products can be fined up to
five percent of its annual sales while executives can face up to two years in
jail.
 |
Activists
of the Association for the Taxation of Financial Transactions and Citizen's
Action stand outside an Apple Store during a protest against tax evasion in
December 2017 in Marseille, southern France
|
'Wide-scale
tax evasion'
Last month
Apple confirmed what critics had suspected for years: that it intentionally
slows performance of older iPhones as their batteries weaken with age.
The company
said this was to extend the performance of the phone, which uses less power
when running at slower speeds, and was to prevent unexpected shutdowns due to a
low battery charge.
It denied
incorporating planned obsolescence.
However in
late December the company issued an apology for slowing older models and said
it would discount replacement batteries for some handsets.
"We
know that some of you feel Apple has let you down. We apologize," Apple
said in a message to customers on its website on December 28.
"We've
always wanted our customers to be able to use their iPhones as long as
possible. We're proud that Apple products are known for their durability, and
for holding their value longer than our competitors' devices."
Critics
have accused Apple of nudging iPhone users to upgrade to newer models by
letting them think it was the handsets that needed replacing, rather than just
the battery.
HOP
believes Apple could be liable for a fine in line with the value of all of its
iPhone sales in France since Hamon's law came into force on August 17, 2015.
The
California-based group also faces a class-action suit in the United States.
In another
headache for Apple in France, the company announced last week that it has filed
a lawsuit against the Attac activist group after about 100 of its supporters
occupied the tech giant's flagship store in Paris last month, protesting
alleged "wide-scale tax evasion" by the firm.
French
prosecutors have also launched a probe into Japanese printer maker Epson for
alleged planned obsolescence in its products.
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