Apple could be subject to criminal charges in France over phone slowdowns

Things are getting more serious for Apple over the revelations that the company purposely slows older phones. They could face criminal charges in France under a recently passed obsolescence law. 

As reported by Masable:

 "By slowing down old phones, Apple is forcing people to replace them with new phones at a faster rate than they really should, violating measures for sustainability established by that 2015 law"

Two lawsuits were initially filed against Apple in the U.S. a week ago, just a few days after Apple confirmed reports that it slowed down older models of its iPhone to preserve battery life.

This French case is, so far, the only known criminal complaint filed against the tech behemoth, which has already faced turmoil over its tax situation in Europe and, more specifically, Ireland in recent years. 

Given that Apple stands to benefit massively  from the newly signed GOP tax bill, they should have enough extra cash to throw at the problem until it goes away.

Source: Mashable