MASSE CALLS ON INDU TO STUDY APPLE BATTERY SCANDAL

Brian Masse M.P. (Windsor West) is calling on the Parliamentary Committee on Industry Science and Technology (INDU) to study the recent Apple iPhone battery scandal. Apple recently acknowledged that the performance of the iPhone 6 or older was deliberately slowed down in a recent Operating System software update.

The company states that this ‘feature’ was added to the software update to address the web browsing power demands. The capacity of mobile device batteries to deliver the necessary power to execute high speed web browsing functions diminishes over time (and in cold weather). The software update deliberately slows down browsing speed in order to avoid device shut down according to Apple.

Some have alleged that the system slowdown embedded in the software update was explicitly designed to prompt consumer demand for the new iPhone 8. Masse believes the company should have been more transparent with consumers about the effect of the software update: “Apple had a duty to inform iPhone users that the iOS 10.2.1 update would negatively affect the performance of their device. Browsing speed is a key feature of any that drives consumer demand. Informed consent is a basic principle that should be applied in the digital space particularly when we are talking about apps that will affect core functions of any device such as web browsing speed.” Masse stated.

Parliament will reconvene in February, Masse as Vice Chair of the INDU Committee wants the Committee to bring Apple and other stakeholders to Ottawa to discuss the obligations tech companies have toward consumers with respect to disclosure and transparency and whether or not there those obligations were followed this instance specifically.

Masse further stated that Apple had a duty to apprise customers that the performance of their battery would diminish over time and impact the capability of the device: “Not only was Apple disingenuous with customers at the point of sale by not apprising consumers that these battery performance issues exist in the first place, they also mislead their consumers by omitting the range of impacts of the software update.”

Masse is calling on Apple to be a world leader in both ethics as well as tech: “As one of the top tech companies in the world Apple with a powerful and influential brand Apple has an even greater responsibility to be an ethical company that competitors are incented to emulate.”