November 22, 2024

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[THE INVESTOR] The Korean broadcasting and telecom regulator has formally sought an explanation from Apple on allegations that it tried to defraud customers by deliberately slowing down devices without warning, according to industry sources on Dec. 28. 

“We are hoping to get some answers on whether Apple intentionally restricted the performance of old iPhones and tried to hide this from customers,” said the Korea Communications Commission.

KCC has no jurisdiction over Apple, which is categorized as a multinational firm. It cannot launch an official probe and can only seek an explanation at the most. 

Lawsuits have been filed in the US and other countries, with Apple officially acknowledging that the performance has been degraded since 2014. Although Apple has insisted that it was inevitable, as otherwise, batteries could drain out without warning, repercussions are growing as more customers are questioning the firm for possibly degrading its older models to market newer products. 

Meanwhile, Korean lawmakers are also proposing law revisions to regulate overseas-based tech firms such as Apple.

By Alex Lee  and newswires (alexlee@heraldcorp.com)