Apple has agreed to pay $18 million to settle a case that accuses the company of deliberately breaking FaceTime on iOS 6. , which was filed in 2017, claimed that the tech giant had disabled the video calling app on the iPhone 4 and 4S as a cost-saving measure.
The fact is that Apple uses a direct peer-to-peer connection for FaceTime calls and another method using third-party servers. However, due to a peer-to-peer patent litigation with VirnetX, the tech giant had to rely more heavily on third-party servers, costing the company millions of dollars. Apple eventually released a new peer-to-peer technology in iOS 7, and the plaintiffs, based on evidence in the VirnetX case, argued that the company intentionally βbrokeβ the app to force users to upgrade their platforms.
According to AppleInsider, the lawsuit was based on the words of an Apple engineer who wrote in an email: βHey guys. I am considering a contract with Akamai for next year. I understand that in April we did something in iOS 6 to reduce the use of the relay. This relay was actively used. We broke iOS 6 and now the only way to get FaceTime working again is to upgrade to iOS 7."
And while Apple will pay $18 million, none of the plaintiffs will receive a large payout. Each participant in the class action will only receive $3 for each affected device, and this amount will only increase if some plaintiffs decide not to claim their compensation.
Source: 3dnews.ru