Toni Dimaano Tech 01.10.2023 00:Jan AM EST

Apple Faces Second Class Action Suit Over Alleged Systematic Privacy Violations

Another class action lawsuit has been filed against Apple for allegedly gathering and transferring analytics data from iPhone customers without their consent.

This class action case, which was filed last week in the Pennsylvania Eastern District Court, is a companion to one that was filed in November, 9to5 Mac writes.

The Suit Revolves Around Apple's Data Analytics Collection Practices

According to security researcher and developer Tommy Mysk's research, Apple apps are collecting and sending data whether or not the user gives permission.

Users are prompted to provide their agreement to Apple gathering analytics data every time they set up a new iPhone, and if they decline, no analytics data will be shared to the company.

However, Mysk discovered that regardless of this option, Apple apps were still gathering and delivering this data.

Additionally, Mysk claimed that even with consent, the amount and quality of the data would be excessive because it contained all the information required for device fingerprinting.

Companies like Meta frequently employ this method as an evasion of App Tracking Transparency, but it's important to note that Apple's developer rules expressly disallow such.

Because of this, a class action lawsuit was filed against Apple soon after the Mysk findings were made public, and another one has since been filed against it.

The outcome of these actions is still uncertain, although they will probably eventually be combined into a single class action lawsuit.

The Lawsuit Focuses Mostly On The Findings By Mysk

Apple has been silent for months about what appears to be a clear violation of its privacy policies, despite years of PR efforts highlighting the company's dedication to data security.

According to Gizmodo, this lawsuit was filed on behalf of a group of consumers to demand justice for Apple's repeated transgressions of state wiretapping, privacy, and consumer fraud laws.

This case involves a blatant invasion of privacy on Apple's part, since the company illegally logs and makes use of users' personal data and activities on its consumer mobile devices and applications.

Simply put, the complaint alleges that Apple illegally collects and makes use of user data and activities on its consumer mobile devices and applications.

According to Mysk's tests, disabling the setting had no impact on the analytics data received from Apple apps, 9to5 Mac reports.

Despite Apple's assertions to the contrary, the information is linked to your name, email address, and phone number via a permanent ID number associated with your iCloud account.

In recent weeks, the Cupertino tech giant is under increasing investigation for collecting personal data, and suspicious mishandling of such.

In connection to that, Apple was penalized last week in France with a $8.5 million fine for gathering user data for targeted advertising without their consent.

It is unusual for privacy authorities to criticize Apple, and to be fair, its privacy policies frequently protect consumers better than those of many of its tech rivals.

However, as Apple expands its booming advertising business, a venture that requires data acquisition, that may soon change, according to Gizmodo.