Federal Judge Narrows Privacy Lawsuit Against Apple, Some Claims Proceed

A federal judge in California has narrowed a privacy lawsuit accusing Apple of collecting user data through proprietary apps, despite users disabling certain tracking settings on their devices. U.S. District Judge Edward Davila dismissed most claims regarding Apple’s “Allow Apps to Request to Track” setting, stating that the feature was clearly intended for third-party apps and websites, not Apple’s own applications.

However, some claims were allowed to proceed concerning the “Share [Device] Analytics” setting, which users argued implied that Apple would not collect data if the feature was disabled. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit claim Apple breached their privacy by collecting personal data even after users had opted out of data sharing, violating privacy agreements and consumer protection laws.

Apple, headquartered in Cupertino, California, has defended its actions, stating that data collection through the “Share [Device] Analytics” setting is used to improve product performance and user experience.

This case is part of a broader legal challenge involving other tech giants like Google and Meta, accused of gathering user data without proper consent. The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified damages for the alleged privacy violations.