Apple Faces Narrowed Privacy Lawsuit Over Its Apps, According to Reuters

By Jonathan Stempel

A federal judge has narrowed a lawsuit that accuses Apple of infringing on the privacy of users with iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches by collecting personal data through its proprietary applications, including the App Store, Apple Music, and Apple TV.

U.S. District Judge Edward Davila, based in San Jose, California, dismissed nearly all claims related to the “Allow Apps to Request to Track” feature on Apple devices but allowed some claims concerning the “Share [Device] Analytics” setting to move forward.

Users of Apple mobile devices alleged that the company violated their user agreements and various privacy and consumer protection laws by claiming that disabling certain settings would limit its data collection efforts. Despite users’ attempts to opt out, the lawsuit asserts that Apple continued to collect, store, and utilize their personal information.

This lawsuit is among many targeting technology companies, including Apple, Google, and Meta Platforms, that are accused of collecting user data without adequate consent.

In a detailed ruling, Judge Davila emphasized that Apple clearly communicated to users that the “Allow Apps to Request to Track” setting was applicable to third-party apps and websites. This clarification led him to conclude that it was “implausible” for users to think they were revoking consent for Apple’s own data collection by disabling the setting.

However, he noted that users reasonably alleged they had withdrawn consent by turning off the “Share [Device] Analytics” option, referencing Apple’s indication that users can completely disable the sharing of device analytics.

Apple has stated that it collects data through this analytical setting to enhance its products and services.

Lawyers representing the plaintiffs did not respond to requests for comment, nor did Apple’s legal team.

The case is referred to as In re Apple Data Privacy Litigation, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.