Consumer affairs minister Pralhad Joshi on Thursday said the Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued a notice to Apple Inc., over alleged performance issues with iPhones after the iOS 18 software update.
"The department, after examining these grievances, has issued a notice to #Apple through the CCPA, seeking a response on the matter," Joshi said in a post on X.
Response sought from Apple
The notice sought explanation from Apple over the reported technical issues following the software update on iPhones.
Notably, the complaints in connection with the performance issues have been received on the National Consumer Helpline, news agency PTI reported.
The notice comes as the latest regulatory criticism of the tech giant's operations in India, which is Apple's key growth market for smartphone manufacturers.
Last year as well, the central government had issued warning to certain Apple users, citing two software vulnerabilities that could result in a "high risk of unauthorised access, data theft, or gain control (by hackers) of the affected system".
According to the advisory issued by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) , which comes under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the 'high' severity issue was said to affect the Intel-based Mac systems, which includes macOS, iOS, and iPadOS devices.
{{/usCountry}}According to the advisory issued by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) , which comes under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the 'high' severity issue was said to affect the Intel-based Mac systems, which includes macOS, iOS, and iPadOS devices.
{{/usCountry}}The Centre had earlier flagged 'multiple vulnerabilities' in Apple products, including iPhones, which could lead to spoofing or leaking of sensitive information from the device.
Additionally, Apple CEO Tim Cook had last year pointed out India's role in iPhones' global sales success.
However, last week it was reported that Apple Inc.,'s global iPhone sales had declined by 5 per cent during the final quarter of 2024 due to underwhelming upgrades and competitors making inroads in China.
iPhone market share had also dropped to 18% in 2024, mostly as Chinese rivals led by Xiaomi Corp. and Vivo took over.
All of this led Apple shares to decline as much as 3% to $229.72 on the New York Stock Exchange on Monday.
(with PTI inputs)