Apple is getting fined again for screwing up iPhone batteries

Apple’s 2017 “batterygate” isn’t quite over yet — at least not in France. 

On Friday, France’s competition and fraud watchdog, the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF) announced that it was fining Apple €25 million ($27 million US) for intentionally slowing down older iPhones. 

Back in 2017, Apple confirmed that it purposely obstructed the full processing power of chips in older iPhone with power management features that came with iOS updates. While the company claimed it only did so to prevent unexpected shutdown for iPhones with serious battery degradation, a dozen lawsuits related to the incident have accused Apple of anything from deceptive practices to sustainability violations. 

Apple has since apologized for its miscommunication over the issue and offered discounted battery replacements. But that didn’t stop them from being fined by the Italian government in 2019, and now by France.

Apple will not be contesting the new fine. For the next month though, the company will also have to display a notice on France’s Apple website about its misleading commercial practice, similar to the one it issued after being fined by the Italian government.