Apple denied arbitration in privacy lawsuit
What you need to know
- A judge has said Apple must fight a legal battle over iMessage and Facetime privacy in court.
- Consumers suing Apple and T-Mobile say third parties had unauthorized access to user communications.
- It is alleged the breach undermines Apple's promises about the security of iMessage and Facetime.
A New York Judge has ruled Apple must fight a legal battle over the privacy of FaceTime and iMessage in court rather than have the case go to arbitration.
As the report notes, arbitration is favored by companies because it is quicker, and because they have a "say in the selection of judges", as well as there being limited rights to appeal decisions and disadvantages to plaintiffs who could face higher legal fees. The case revolves around accusations leveled at both Apple and T-Mobile:
A final ruling is expected on one of the claims made against T-Mobile once questions over arbitration are resolved, but meantime the judge rejected a similar request from Apple. Lawyers for the plaintiffs celebrated the judgment, stating the judge had "recognized the significant merit and far-reaching impact of plaintiffs' claims for a broad class of iPhone users."
Master your iPhone in minutes
iMore offers spot-on advice and guidance from our team of experts, with decades of Apple device experience to lean on. Learn more with iMore!
Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design. Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9