France opens investigation into Apple

By Alaattin Dogru

ANKARA (AA) - France opened an investigation against t Apple "for restricting smartphone repair and making planned obsolescence," officials said Tuesday.

The Paris Prosecutor's Office announced that the National Investigation Service of the General Directorate for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) initiated legal action in December 2022 after a complaint was filed against the company by the Halt Planned Obsolescence (HOP) Association.

The lawsuit accuses Apple of making dozens of interceptions in the repair of device parts and dictating practices that make it difficult for unauthorized services to make repairs.

Apple is accused of not making the hardware available to the user at an affordable price and time.

In 2020, Apple paid a €25 million fine ($27.5 million) to close the investigation opened in France for deceiving users.

*Writing by Gokhan Ergocun from Istanbul