Italy to fine Apple $12m over waterproof iPhone claims

Italy’s antitrust regulator, AGCM, on Monday announced that it would fine Apple 10 million euros ($12 million) for misleading claims about the waterproof qualities of its iPhone products.
The authority took issue with advertisements in which latest iPhone models were presented as water resistant for up to 30 minutes, at depths ranging from one to four metres.
Customers were not properly warned that this could happen only during “specific and controlled laboratory tests’’ and “not under normal conditions of use,’’ AGCM noted in a statement.
Apple was also fined for its refusal to fix under warranty, liquid-related damage as the Italian watchdog considered it an `aggressive business practice.’
On its website, Apple says most recent iPhone models, starting from the iPhone 7 (2016), “are splash, water, and dust resistant and were tested under controlled laboratory conditions.”
It, however, warned consumers to avoid “swimming or bathing with your iPhone, exposing your iPhone to pressurised water or high velocity water, and intentionally submerging your iPhone in water.”
Apple Italy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.