Australian regulator sues Apple over smartphone shutdowns and strict repair rules

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has filed a Federal Court case against Apple over "false and misleading representations about consumer rights." The regulator claims the company broke the law by disabling hundreds of smartphones and tablets and then refusing to unlock them because they had previously been repaired by unofficial service centers.

The ACCC noted that it began an investigation in February 2016 after reports of “Error 53”, which led to the inoperability of several thousand Apple devices. According to the regulator, many consumers who encountered the problem “replaced the cracked screen” on smartphones and tablets at unofficial service centers.

An ACCC investigation found that Apple routinely refused to allow users to repair faulty devices if they ever used third-party repairers. According to the chairman of the regulator, Rod Sims, the company's actions violate Australian consumer law.

Consumer guarantees in Australia exist independently of company guarantees. Losing these guarantees simply because customers choose a “third party” service affects other users as well. This deprives them of choice, even if somewhere they can fix the device cheaper than the manufacturer.

Rod Sims, ACCC Chairman

The ACCC said in a statement that the regulator is seeking a fine and an injunction from Apple. In 2013, the regulator already won a lawsuit against the company.

“Error 53” appeared with one of the iOS updates in the winter of 2016. It arose after the repair of Apple smartphones and tablets in unofficial service centers, during which the Home button or the cable connected to it was replaced. Later, the company apologized for the malfunction and released a new version of the system.

Some of our customers' devices showed "Connect to iTunes" after attempting to update iOS or restore via iTunes on Mac and PC. In iTunes, a notification appeared about “Error 53”: this happens when the device fails a security check. This test was created to verify that Touch ID is working correctly before the device leaves the factory.

Apple

In February 2016, the American company Pfau Cochran Vertetis Amala already sued Apple due to “Error 53”. Representatives of the firm argued that the company should have informed customers about the risks associated with repairing mobile devices in unauthorized workshops. The claim was rejected due to its groundlessness.