Apple has been fined $9M AUD ($6.6m USD) by an Australian Federal Court for misleading iPhone and iPad owners regarding third-party screen repairs, The Sydney Morning Herald reports. The court action was initiated by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) after it received complaints about the “error 53” issue that was [known for disabling iOS devices] that had received third-party screen repairs a few years ago.
ACCC Commissioner Sarah Court said that several customers alleged that they were “being refused a remedy of any kind by Apple on the basis that their device had had unauthorised repairs” even if those repairs were as minor as having a cracked screen. Ms.
Court added that under Australian Consumer law, customers are free to have repairs done by third parties without being penalized by the original manufacturer. For its part, Apple admitted that it made false and misleading statements to consumers between February 2015 and February 2016, and the ACCC identified at least 275 customers in Australia who were affected, although Court notes that it was more widespread, and further investigation through an outreach program suggested as many as 5,000 Australian consumers may have been impacted.
