Apple Sued For Failing To Warn Users Of WiFi Assist Data Usage

Apple is facing yet another class action lawsuit for failing to explicitly state that the new WiFi Assist feature would use cellular data. The original plaintiffs William Scott Phillips and Suzanne Schmidt Phillips are claiming that the data costs amount to some US$5 million (about RM21 million).

WiFi Assist is a new feature that uses cellular data connection to boost weak WiFi signals. This generally means that iOS9 devices would rather choose to drop weak WiFi in favour of stronger mobile data, which has lead to the unfortunate side effect of costing the users more on their phone bill.

The plaintiffs are claiming that Apple did not do enough to explain how WiFi Assist works, and is liable for the additional charges. They also claim that Apple on put up additional information on its website about WiFi Assist after news articles about additional charges began appearing online.

The suit reads, “The defendant’s above corrective action, however, still downplays the possible data overcharges a user could incur. Reasonable and average consumers use their iPhones for streaming of music, videos, and running various applications — all of which can use significant data. Defendant’s corrective statement does not disclose any basis for its conclusion that an average consumer would not see much increase in cellular usage.”

Apple is accused of violating California’s Unfair Competition Law, the state’s False Advertising Law, and of negligent misrepresentation.

WiFi Assist is automatically activated on iOS9, which has lead to many Apple users being unaware of its existence. It can, however, be disabled in the settings menu.

[Source: Apple Insider]

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