Apple under fire for allegations of controversial business practices

CBC News: The National

AI-assisted summary of Apple under fire for allegations of controversial business practices — original source. Check the original for full context.

Source published: 2018-10-09

Key ideas

An undercover CBC News investigation revealed an Apple Store quoting up to $1,980 for a logic board, top case, and display replacement over liquid damage, whereas independent technician Louis Rossmann fixed the issue for free in 90 seconds by straightening a single bent backlight pin. (0:03)
Primate Labs founder John Poole uncovered empirical Geekbench data proving Apple surreptitiously throttled processing speeds on older iPhones via operating system updates, a condition fully remediated by replacing the battery. (12:21)
Apple faces mounting global legal scrutiny, including a statutory criminal investigation into planned obsolescence in France and multiple consumer class-action lawsuits over non-disclosed performance suppression. (14:02)
Independent repair advocates and 17 U.S. states are advancing Right to Repair legislation, warning that a single jurisdiction mandating access to schematics and parts could reshape global consumer electronics manufacturing. (9:33)

Detailed notes

## Background This investigative report was published on October 9, 2018, by CBC News: The National on YouTube. The broadcast features an undercover investigation into Apple's controversial business practices, focusing on allegations of exorbitant repair charges, hardware restrictions, and the covert iPhone battery throttling scandal.

## TL;DR CBC News takes an undercover hidden camera into a downtown Toronto Apple Store, exposing a $1,200 repair quote for a dark MacBook screen that independent repair technician Louis Rossmann fixes in ninety seconds for free using tweezers. The investigation expands into the broader Right to Repair battle, showing how iFixit's Kyle Wiens and repair advocates fight Apple's proprietary screws, glued-in batteries, and aggressive legal threats. It also traces how Geekbench founder John Poole unmasked Apple's secret software throttling of aging iPhones, prompting international protests, criminal probes in France, class-action litigation, and tense grilling by Canadian parliamentarians.

## Atmosphere & style The piece carries the tense, skeptical, and methodical weight of classic investigative journalism. It contrasts Apple's sleek, welcoming corporate aura with hidden-camera sting footage, grounded workbenches cluttered with diagnostic tools, and combative parliamentary hearings. Watching it feels vindicating and revealing, as corporate talking points and thousand-dollar price tags are punctured by simple mechanical truths and hard bench-testing data.

## Bulletin - [00:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=3s) An undercover CBC News investigation revealed an Apple Store quoting up to $1,980 for a logic board, top case, and display replacement over liquid damage, whereas independent technician Louis Rossmann fixed the issue for free in 90 seconds by straightening a single bent backlight pin. - [12:21](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=741s) Primate Labs founder John Poole uncovered empirical Geekbench data proving Apple surreptitiously throttled processing speeds on older iPhones via operating system updates, a condition fully remediated by replacing the battery. - [14:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=842s) Apple faces mounting global legal scrutiny, including a statutory criminal investigation into planned obsolescence in France and multiple consumer class-action lawsuits over non-disclosed performance suppression. - [09:33](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=573s) Independent repair advocates and 17 U.S. states are advancing Right to Repair legislation, warning that a single jurisdiction mandating access to schematics and parts could reshape global consumer electronics manufacturing.

## Key takeaways - [00:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=3s) A CBC undercover test at a downtown Toronto Apple Store resulted in a $1,200 to $1,980 repair quote for alleged liquid damage on a dark MacBook Pro display. - [02:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=172s) Apple technicians pointed to internal liquid contact indicators that often trigger from normal atmospheric humidity rather than actual spills. - [02:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=172s) Independent repair specialist Louis Rossmann resolved the MacBook failure in 90 seconds using tweezers to bend back a display connector pin at zero charge. - [02:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=172s) Rossmann reports that his Manhattan repair shop sees between 10 and 30 customers each day who were rejected or given exorbitant quotes by Apple Stores. - [06:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=401s) iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens documents deliberate anti-repair engineering by Apple, including proprietary pentalobe screws, glued-in batteries, and software-locked modular components. - [09:33](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=573s) Apple aggressively suppresses unauthorized repairs by issuing copyright takedown notices threatening up to $150,000 in statutory damages and utilizing customs seizures against replacement part imports. - [09:33](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=573s) Right to Repair legislation introduced across 17 U.S. states seeks to legally mandate access to authentic parts, diagnostic tools, and schematics for consumers and independent shops. - [11:07](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=667s) Advocates argue that a single jurisdiction adopting comprehensive Right to Repair rules could trigger a domino effect across streamlined global supply chains. - [12:21](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=741s) Geekbench benchmark data gathered by Primate Labs provided indisputable proof that Apple deliberately throttled iPhone CPU performance via iOS updates. - [12:21](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=741s) Users were not informed that installing a simple, inexpensive replacement battery would immediately restore full computational performance on throttled iPhones. - [14:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=842s) French judicial authorities opened a formal investigation into Apple for planned obsolescence, which constitutes a statutory crime in France. - [14:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=842s) Consumer rights attorney Shanna Scarlett launched a major U.S. class-action lawsuit accusing Apple of surreptitiously meddling with hardware owned outright by consumers. - [15:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=945s) In testimony before a Canadian parliamentary committee, Apple Canada legal counsel admitted that the failure to disclose performance throttling was not intentional. - [17:26](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=1046s) Legal experts emphasize that class-action lawsuits are essential to level the power imbalance between individual consumers and trillion-dollar tech conglomerates.

## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=3s) Undercover at the Apple Store: The $1,200 Quote

Apple cultivates an immaculate public image of energetic young Genius Bar employees serving lines of excited customers eager for the newest devices. However, that image has faced scrutiny due to persistent claims that Apple stores wildly overcharge customers for hardware repairs or push them to purchase replacements. To test whether Apple systematically misdiagnoses hardware issues that could be resolved with minor repairs, a CBC News investigative team took a malfunctioning MacBook Pro into a downtown Toronto Apple Store with a hidden camera. The laptop's screen was essentially dark, remaining extremely dim whenever the machine was powered on.

```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: Apple Store vs Third-Party Repair Cost Comparison accDescr: Visual flowchart comparing the Apple Store repair quote exceeding $1100 to $1800 against the free two-minute pin-bend fix at Rossmann Repair Group.

subgraph Apple["Apple Store Toronto Diagnosis"] A["Liquid Contact Indicators Triggered"] --> B["Refuses Partial Repair"] B --> C["Quote: Logic Board + Top Case ($1,100) + Labor ($100)"] C --> D["Optional Display Replacement (+$780)"] D --> E["Total Quote: $1,200 to $1,980+"] end

subgraph Rossmann["Louis Rossmann Evaluation"] F["Microscope Light Reveals Working Screen"] --> G["Discovers Bent Backlight Connector Pin"] G --> H["Tweezers Used to Bend Pin Back (90 Seconds)"] H --> I["Laptop Fully Restored"] I --> J["Cost: $0.00 (Free)"] end ```

The Apple technician examined the machine and quickly attributed the failure to extensive liquid damage, pointing out internal red indicator dots that are white when pristine. The technician asserted that liquid had reached the entire computer, ruling out any cheap or partial fixes: “Well, regardless of what the cause of it is, if it isn't the liquid, we have to fix the liquid, so it's not like we can do partial repairs when it's been damaged.” He quoted more than $1,000 for mandatory replacements: roughly $600 for a logic board, $500 for a top case, and $100 for labor, bringing the base charge to $1,200. He added that if the display also needed replacement, it would cost an additional $780, bringing the total repair quote close to $2,000. When asked if any cheaper alternatives existed, the technician admitted the repair cost hovered near the price of buying a brand-new computer.

- Apple Store diagnostic: Alleged liquid damage based on internal red liquid contact indicators. - Logic board: ~$600. - Top case: ~$500. - Labor fee: $100. - Display replacement (if required): $780. - Total repair estimate: $1,200 to over $1,980.

---

[02:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=172s) Louis Rossmann’s 90-Second Free Fix

Seeking an independent second opinion, the team brought the exact same MacBook Pro to 1st Avenue in Manhattan, where technician Louis Rossmann operates Rossmann Repair Group. Rossmann, who began repairing computers in college and amasses millions of views on YouTube demonstrating component-level repairs, was told the Apple Store had declared the laptop uneconomical to repair with a $1,200 price tag. Setting the laptop on his bench, Rossmann shined an external microscope light directly through the display panel, immediately revealing a visible, moving mouse cursor and an intact desktop. He explained that the display and graphics circuitry worked fine; only the backlight was non-functional.

Rossmann opened the chassis to inspect the screen connector. He quickly spotted a single connector pin sticking out and bent outward, breaking electrical contact for the backlight circuit. Rossmann dismissed Apple's liquid damage conclusion, clarifying that liquid contact indicators near the battery frequently trip simply from atmospheric humidity in damp environments, even if liquid was never spilled. Using a simple pair of tweezers, Rossmann gently nudged the bent pin back into its groove and reconnected the cable. The laptop booted immediately with full backlight illumination. The entire repair took approximately a minute and a half.

When asked what he would charge a walk-in customer for that specific service, Rossmann stated: “If somebody wanted me to just bend the pin back, I wouldn't charge them for that; I would say, I'm going to rework your original cable, that may not last long term, but here it's free.” He noted that even if a customer requested a full cable replacement, he would only charge between $75 and $150 depending on the model, adding that bending the pin back works permanently 99% of the time. Rossmann revealed that his shop sees customers turned away or quoted exorbitant fees by the Apple Store “somewhere between 10 and 30 times a day.” CBC requested an on-camera response from Apple regarding the incident and widespread allegations of overcharging; Apple declined an interview, issuing a statement insisting that customers are best served by certified technicians using genuine parts and denying that they systematically inflate repair estimates.

- Diagnostic method: Microscope light shone through the display to confirm LCD image generation. - Root cause: Single bent pin on the display connector failing to make contact with the backlight circuit. - Repair duration: ~90 seconds using tweezers. - Rossmann's price for bending the pin: $0 (free). - Rossmann's price for a complete cable replacement: $75 to $150. - Volume of Apple Store rejections at Rossmann's shop: 10 to 30 customers per day.

---

[06:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=401s) Kyle Wiens and Apple’s Anti-Repair Engineering

In San Luis Obispo, California, Kyle Wiens heads iFixit, the largest third-party repair advocate and teardown organization in North America. Employing 125 people and generating $21 million annually, iFixit tears down new gadgets, documents recurring failure points, and sells custom repair tools and free manuals online. Wiens, a central figure in the Right to Repair movement, explains that consumers used to take for granted the ability to fix vacuums, televisions, and laptops, but modern consumer tech manufacturers have systematically stripped away that independence by withholding documentation and spare parts. Calling out Apple's philosophy, Wiens argued: “Apple's perspective is that they want complete control over the device from the moment that you buy it all the way through the end of life, and Right to Repair takes some of that control away from them and puts it in the hands of the owner, and that's where, for a manufacturer to say we're making a product and we're putting out in the world and we're going to control every aspect of what happens after the fact is complete lunacy.”

Wiens demonstrated the deliberate hardware and software roadblocks Apple designs into products to block independent repairs: 1. **Proprietary Pentalobe Screws**: Apple introduced unique five-point pentalobe screws on the exterior chassis of devices like the MacBook Pro to prevent consumers from opening hardware using standard household screwdrivers. 2. **Glued-in Batteries**: Apple shifted from easily removable batteries to adhering battery packs with strong pull-tab adhesive strips (similar to 3M Command strips) inside devices such as the iPhone 8, creating hazardous, difficult battery extractions when tabs tear. 3. **Software-Locked Modular Components**: When iPhone screens cracked, replacing the front panel often included replacing the home button. Apple reprogrammed iOS to identify third-party or non-serialized home buttons, deliberately bricking functionality. Wiens compared this to an automaker disabling a car over replacement tires: “It would be like if you're driving your car and maybe you changed out the tires and you had aftermarket tires, and then all of a sudden Tesla pushes out a software update and your car stops driving because of those aftermarket tires.”

- iFixit company footprint: 125 employees, $21 million in annual revenue. - Proprietary hardware barrier: 5-point pentalobe screw head introduced across MacBooks and iPhones. - Adhesive barriers: Gluing lithium-ion batteries into chassis rather than using mechanical brackets.

---

[09:33](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=573s) Legal Intimidation and the Legislative Pushback

Apple views unauthorized repair networks as adversaries and actively uses legal mechanisms to suppress the circulation of diagnostic documentation. Both Louis Rossmann and Kyle Wiens have faced aggressive intellectual property actions and copyright threats from Apple. Because Apple authors its proprietary service manuals and schematics, it exploits copyright law to issue digital takedown notices against third-party repairers who host them, threatening lawsuits seeking statutory penalties of up to $150,000 per incident. Rossmann also condemned the weaponization of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to intercept imported replacement components at customs borders under the guise of trademark infringement, stating he wants a rollback of intellectual property and customs enforcement practices that threaten independent shop owners with prosecution or imprisonment simply for importing parts and sharing schematics.

In response, independent repair advocates have mobilized politically. At the New York State Legislature in Albany, Rossmann and fellow Right to Repair advocates set up an interactive "repair café" for state lawmakers, challenging politicians to identify hardware components beneath protective shielding. That legislative push has gained significant momentum, with 17 U.S. states introducing Right to Repair bills designed to legally mandate that Apple and rival electronics manufacturers supply schematics, service manuals, and authentic replacement parts to independent repair shops and consumers. Rossmann emphasized that independent shops are not trying to eliminate Apple's service centers, but rather fill the void for repairs Apple refuses to handle reasonably: “I'd like Apple to change by acknowledging that if they're not willing to do certain jobs, maybe somebody else would.”

- Legal threat: Apple issues takedown notices threatening up to $150,000 in statutory damages per copyright violation for publishing repair manuals. - Import enforcement: Apple and customs officials leverage ICE and border authorities to seize imported third-party and OEM replacement parts. - Legislative campaign: 17 U.S. states introduced Right to Repair legislation to require access to repair manuals, diagnostics, and OEM components.

[11:07](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=667s) The Right to Repair Domino Effect

Advocates for the Right to Repair argue that opening up device repair isn't asking tech giants for special favors, but rather demanding an end to hostile barriers. As one advocate puts it, “I'm just asking them to you know stop extending the knife.” The legislative stakes are enormous: if even a single state or province manages to pass comprehensive right-to-repair legislation, experts believe it will trigger an unstoppable chain reaction across the entire consumer electronics industry. “This is where it gets really interesting is the moment that one state passes things it's is the dam is going to burst,” an advocate explains.

Because global hardware manufacturers aim to streamline and simplify their supply chains and operational logistics rather than engineer region-specific product variants, a single progressive jurisdiction—such as the province of Ontario—could effectively set standard repairability rules for the entire world. The growing momentum behind the movement has cast an uncomfortable spotlight on what critics characterize as Apple's predatory business practices, particularly repair quotes that sit prohibitively close to the total replacement cost of a brand-new computer, leaving longtime customers wondering if the tech giant genuinely prioritizes their interests.

```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: The Right to Repair Regulatory Domino Effect accDescr: Diagram showing how a single jurisdiction passing right-to-repair legislation creates a global operational shift.

subgraph Catalyst["Legislative Catalyst"] A["Single Jurisdiction Passes Bill (e.g., Ontario or U.S. State)"] end

subgraph Manufacturing["Corporate Realities"] B["Manufacturers Cannot Segregate Production"] C["Operational Simplification Required"] end

subgraph Outcome["Global Impact"] D["Global Right to Repair Standard Adopted"] end

A --> B B --> C C --> D ```

[12:21](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=741s) John Poole and the Geekbench Discovery

Fresh controversy erupted when Apple customers began suspecting that the company was enforcing a sneaky internal policy designed to artificially frustrate users and pressure them into buying newer smartphones. The mystery began unraveling at the Toronto offices of Primate Labs, the software firm behind Geekbench—a diagnostic tool relied upon by millions worldwide to benchmark the processing power of computers and mobile devices. Founder John Poole found himself fielding a flood of complaints from users insisting their iPhones had suddenly become sluggish, a problem hits close to home when his wife remarked that her iPhone 6s felt noticeably unresponsive. Testing her device revealed benchmark scores dramatically lower than expected, baffling Poole to the point of disbelief.

The breakthrough arrived when Poole stumbled upon an anonymous internet comment offering an unexpected tip: replacing the degraded battery on a sluggish iPhone immediately restored its computational speed. “It was sort of a Eureka moment and that's what prompted me to really take a deep dive into our database of performance data and see what was happening,” Poole recalls. Analyzing millions of data points across iPhones running different software updates, Poole plotted the performance curves on a graph and uncovered undeniable proof: processing speeds across countless devices plummeted immediately following Apple’s latest operating system update. His published findings delivered an objective, scientific indictment proving that Apple was deliberately throttling device speeds behind closed doors. Facing undeniable empirical data, Apple quickly admitted to throttling the processors, but insisted the practice was entirely benign and intended solely to protect aging batteries from unexpected device shutdowns.

- **Company:** Primate Labs (Toronto, Ontario) - **Diagnostic Tool:** Geekbench - **Trigger Device:** iPhone 6s running significantly below rated performance specifications - **Discovery Mechanism:** Cross-referencing anonymous online user reports with aggregate performance metrics across millions of active benchmark logs

[14:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=842s) Planned Obsolescence and Global Backlash

Apple’s admission that it had been quietly suppressing the peak processor performance of older devices set off an international media firestorm, reigniting longstanding suspicions of planned obsolescence—the cynical corporate strategy of artificially shortening a product’s lifespan to force repeat hardware purchases. Apple CEO Tim Cook publicly pushed back against the accusations, insisting, “We always focus on the user experience so at the heart of any decision that we make is the user.” Despite corporate reassurances, customer outrage erupted worldwide. In Paris, street demonstrators targeted Apple storefronts, depicting the tech company as an corporate empire guilty of cheating everyday consumers alongside rampant international tax avoidance. The French government went a step further, treating planned obsolescence as a statutory crime and placing Apple under formal judicial investigation.

In the United States, Canadian consumer rights class-action attorney Shanna Scarlett—who had previously helped secure a $450 million antitrust judgment against Apple—spearheaded a new class-action lawsuit challenging the covert performance throttling. Scarlett contends that Apple violated consumer trust by surreptitiously meddling with devices that individuals owned outright. “They actively reached in to a consumers phone through the operating system and made what is a large change in terms of the throttling of performance without properly disclosing it to consumers that is a you know a fairly invasive act for a company to do,” Scarlett states.

[15:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=945s) The Canadian Parliamentary Grilling

While Apple turned down CBC’s direct requests for an on-camera interview, the company was legally compelled to address the throttling controversy before a Canadian parliamentary committee hearing. Apple Canada legal counsel Jacqueline Famulak appeared before MPs to defend the update, testifying that the measure was engineered purely as an engineering safeguard against battery failure. “The sole purpose of the software update in this case was to help customers to continue to use older iPhones with aging batteries without shutdowns not to drive them to buy newer devices,” Famulak insisted. Critics immediately rejected that defense, pointing out that Apple kept consumers entirely in the dark regarding the simple remedy at their disposal. Rather than confronting an artificial trilemma of accepting a sluggish phone, enduring random shutdowns, or spending hundreds of dollars on a replacement handset, users could have fully restored their phones for the modest price of a fresh battery.

Toronto Liberal Member of Parliament Nathaniel Erskine-Smith aggressively pressed Famulak on Apple's inconsistent statements, contrasting her insistence that the company did nothing wrong with Apple's prior public apology for withholding information. When Erskine-Smith asked whether the non-disclosure of the slowdown was intentional or inadvertent, Famulak initially sparred over semantics, claiming, “We did not non disclose anything we didn't have anything to not disclose.” Erskine-Smith held firm, demanding to know directly whether the deliberate concealment of the performance throttling was accidental or calculated. Famulak conceded: “It was not intentional.”

- **Committee Witness:** Jacqueline Famulak (Legal Counsel, Apple Canada) - **Questioning Parliamentarian:** Nathaniel Erskine-Smith (Liberal MP, Beaches—East York) - **The Withheld Alternative:** Replacing a degraded battery restores full processor speeds without purchasing a new device or suffering throttled performance

[17:26](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=1046s) Fighting Trillion-Dollar Monopolies

For litigators like Shanna Scarlett, Apple’s parliamentary admission of failing to disclose performance throttling serves as cornerstone evidence in consumer lawsuits. Scarlett highlights the stark power asymmetry between average citizens and tech behemoths, stressing that without collective class actions, everyday consumers possess virtually no leverage against massive corporate wrongdoing. “How are you one person supposed to fight against Apple how is one person with ten dollars of harm supposed to fight against one of the most well capitalized companies in the entire world it's impossible,” Scarlett points out.

While Silicon Valley has served as the undisputed engine of the American economic expansion for years, consumer tolerance for deceptive operational tactics is rapidly waning. As journalist Terence McKenna observes outside Apple’s Cupertino headquarters, an emboldened grassroots and legal movement is demanding unprecedented transparency, challenging questionable corporate practices and forcing the world’s most powerful tech companies to answer to the public.

## Notable quotes > [09:33](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=573s) I'd like Apple to change by acknowledging that if they're not willing to do certain jobs, maybe somebody else would. — Louis Rossmann

## Mentioned Apple, MacBook Pro, Louis Rossmann, Rossmann Repair Group, Kyle Wiens, iFixit, iPhone 8, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), New York State Legislature, John Poole, Primate Labs, Geekbench, iPhone 6s, Tim Cook, Shanna Scarlett, Jacqueline Famulak, Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Terence McKenna, CBC News

## Video description The National goes undercover to investigate some of Apple's controversial business practices including allegations of overpriced repair charges and the battery/slowdown scandal.

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[Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk)

中文简报

苹果因争议性商业行为指控面临舆论声讨加拿大广播公司（CBC News）携带隐藏摄像头暗访多伦多市中心的一家苹果零售店，曝光了一台黑屏的MacBook被开出1200美元维修报价的事件；而独立维修技师路易斯·罗斯曼（Louis Rossmann）仅用镊子花费90秒就免费将其修好。该调查进一步延伸至更广泛的“维修权”之争，展示了iFixit的凯尔·威恩斯（Kyle Wiens）和维修倡导者如何与苹果的特规螺丝、胶粘电池以及激进的法律威胁作斗争。报道还追溯了Geekbench创始人约翰·普尔（John Poole）如何揭露苹果通过软件秘密限制老化iPhone性能的内幕，此举引发了国际抗议、法国的刑事调查、集体诉讼，以及加拿大国会议员的严厉质询。 CBC News的一项暗访调查显示，一家苹果零售店以进水受损为由开出高达1980美元的报价，要求更换逻辑板、机身顶壳和显示屏；而独立技师路易斯·罗斯曼仅用90秒免费将一根弯曲的背光引脚拨正，便解决了该问题。 (0:03) Primate Labs创始人约翰·普尔发现的Geekbench实测数据证明，苹果通过操作系统更新暗中限制老款iPhone的处理速度，而更换电池即可彻底解决该问题。 (12:21) 苹果正面临日益增加的全球法律审查，包括法国就“计划性报废”发起的法定刑事调查，以及多起针对未披露性能限制行为的消费者集体诉讼。 (14:02) 独立维修倡导者和美国17个州正在推进“维修权”立法，并指出只要有一个司法管辖区强制要求开放原理图和零配件，就可能重塑全球消费电子制造业。 (9:33)

Reading summary

A CBC News investigation into Apple reveals mounting pushback from independent technicians, legal advocates, and lawmakers over exorbitant repair quotes, anti-repair hardware engineering, and covert device throttling. Critics contend these practices systematically disadvantage consumers to drive hardware upgrades, while Apple defends its policies as necessary measures to ensure safety and device longevity. Inflated Repair Estimates vs. Component-Level Fixes (0:03) When CBC News brought a MacBook Pro with a non-responsive, dark display to an Apple Store in Toronto, technicians attributed the failure to extensive liquid damage based on tripped contact indicators, quoting between $1,200 and nearly $2,000 for replacement logic boards, top cases, and display components. The technician claimed partial repairs were impossible and acknowledged the quote approached the purchase price of a new laptop. However, independent technician Louis Rossmann examined the exact machine in New York using a microscope light, identifying that the LCD panel functioned and that the failure stemmed merely from a single bent pin on the backlight connector. Using tweezers, Rossmann straightened the pin and restored the laptop's display within 90 seconds at no charge. He noted that atmospheric humidity frequently trips Apple's internal liquid sensors even without contact with liquid, adding that his independent shop sees customers turned away or overquoted by Apple between 10 and 30 times per day. Apple declined an on-camera interview, issuing a statement asserting that certified technicians using genuine parts best serve consumers and denying that it systematically inflates repair estimates. Deliberate Engineering Roadblocks and Legal Suppression (6:41) According to iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens, modern consumer tech manufacturers have systematically eroded consumer independence by locking down repair capabilities. Wiens highlighted deliberate hardware and software barriers introduced by Apple, including proprietary five-point pentalobe screws designed to prevent disassembly with household tools, lithium-ion batteries glued directly to chassis rather than secured by mechanical brackets, and software serialization that bricks device features—such as home buttons—if non-genuine or third-party replacement parts are detected. Wiens criticized Apple's insistence on total device control through end-of-life as an extreme measure that strips away ownership rights. In addition to hardware barriers, Apple actively restricts the circulation of technical repair data through aggressive legal enforcement. The company has targeted third-party technicians with copyright infringement claims for hosting repair schematics and manuals, threatening statutory damages of up to $150,000 per violation. Rossmann also condemned Apple's reliance on border enforcement authorities to intercept and seize imported third-party replacement components under the guise of trademark enforcement, leaving independent businesses exposed to threats of prosecution for sourcing parts. Legislative Pushback and the Domino Effect (9:33) Faced with institutional barriers, independent repair advocates have mobilized politically to demand Right to Repair mandates. In New York, advocates hosted an interactive repair demonstration for state lawmakers in Albany, which contributed to 17 U.S. states introducing legislation requiring manufacturers to supply diagnostics, genuine parts, and schematics to independent shops and individual owners. Advocates stress they are not attempting to shut down official Apple service centers, but rather fill the repair demand Apple refuses to handle affordably. Proponents argue that Right to Repair legislation possesses unique regulatory leverage. Because consumer electronics manufacturers rely on standardized global supply chains and operational logistics rather than country-specific hardware configurations, advocates suggest that if a single jurisdiction—such as the province of Ontario or a single U.S. state—passes robust repairability mandates, the resulting operational shift could force manufacturers to adopt repair-friendly standards worldwide. Performance Throttling and Planned Obsolescence Scrutiny (12:21) The debate over corporate control intensified when Geekbench developer John Poole analyzed millions of performance logs to prove that an Apple operating system update systematically throttled processing speeds on older iPhones. While Apple CEO Tim Cook insisted decisions prioritize user experience and Apple claimed the update was purely an engineering safeguard to prevent sudden shutdowns on degraded batteries, critics characterized the covert slowdowns as planned obsolescence designed to spur new device purchases. The revelations sparked street protests in Paris, a statutory criminal investigation into planned obsolescence by the French government, and class-action lawsuits spearheaded by consumer attorney Shanna Scarlett. During a Canadian parliamentary committee hearing, Apple Canada legal counsel Jacqueline Famulak defended the update as a measure to assist customers, but MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith pressed her on why Apple concealed the practice when a simple battery replacement would have restored peak performance. Famulak conceded to lawmakers that the failure to disclose the slowdown was 'not intentional.' Litigators argue such admissions are critical, emphasizing that collective legal action remains the only viable counterbalance for consumers confronting well-capitalized tech monopolies. The investigation highlights an escalating conflict between Apple's tightly guarded commercial ecosystem and a growing coalition of consumers, independent repairers, and lawmakers. While Apple asserts that its strict protocols safeguard user experience and device integrity, mounting regulatory scrutiny and pending Right to Repair legislation continue to challenge whether manufacturers should hold exclusive post-sale authority over consumer electronics.

精炼阅读摘要

加拿大广播公司（CBC News）调查发现，苹果公司因涉嫌对硬件维修过度报价、通过专有设计与法律手段限制第三方维修，以及秘密降低旧款iPhone处理器性能而面临广泛指控与监管压力；苹果则辩称相关举措旨在保障设备安全和用户体验。高额维修报价与第三方廉价修复的对比 (0:03) CBC调查团队将一台仅背光故障的MacBook Pro送至多伦多市中心的Apple Store进行暗访。店内技术人员声称机内红色液体接触指示标签已被触发，断定整机遭遇严重进水，并拒绝局部维修，开出了主板约600美元、顶壳约500美元及人工费100美元、总计1,200美元的强制更换报价；若连带更换屏幕，费用更高达近2,000美元，接近购买新机。然而，独立维修专家Louis Rossmann在显微镜下检测发现，该机屏幕与图形电路完好，仅因排线上的一个引脚弯曲导致背光失效。Rossmann用镊子耗时约90秒将引脚复原即解决了问题，并表示该操作对到店顾客免费，即使彻底更换排线也仅收费75至150美元。Rossmann透露其店铺每天接待10至30名被苹果开出高昂报价或拒绝维修的顾客；苹果随后拒绝接受采访，但书面坚称由认证技师使用原厂零件最符合客户利益，并否认蓄意抬高维修估价。硬件设计封锁与对独立维修的法律打压 (6:41) 北美维修倡导组织iFixit负责人Kyle Wiens指出，苹果通过硬件与软件层面的设计阻碍自主维修，包括引入五角梅花防撬螺丝、使用强力背胶固定锂电池，以及在iOS中对非序列化或第三方更换的Home键实施软件锁定导致功能报废。Wiens批评苹果试图从产品售出到报废全程垄断控制权。此外，苹果还将未授权维修网络视为对手，通过版权法对分享内部电路原理图和维修手册的独立从业者发出下架通知，单次侵权索赔威胁最高可达150,000美元；Louis Rossmann亦指责苹果联合美国移民与海关执法局（ICE）等边境机构，以侵犯商标为由扣押进口的第三方及OEM替换零部件。维修权立法博弈与供应链连锁效应 (9:33) 面对苹果的技术与法律封锁，维修权（Right to Repair）支持者转向政治诉求，全美已有17个州提出了相关法案，要求强制苹果等消费电子厂商向独立店铺和普通消费者提供诊断工具、原理图和正品配件。Rossmann等倡导者在纽约州议会设立互动展位，展示独立维修并非要取代官方服务，而是填补苹果拒绝处理的维修需求。倡导者分析指出，由于跨国硬件制造商倾向于维持统一简化的全球供应链，而非为个别区域定制生产流程，因此只要有一个关键司法管辖区（如加拿大安大略省或美国某州）率先通过全面的维修权法案，便可能引发“多米诺骨牌效应”，迫使整个消费电子行业在全球范围内推行更开放的维修标准。跑分数据揭露降速与计划性报废质疑 (12:21) 基准测试工具Geekbench的开发商Primate Labs创办人John Poole在收到大量iPhone卡顿反馈后展开分析，结合网络匿名线索发现更换老化电池可让旧机恢复运算速度。Poole比对数百万条跨系统版本的性能日志后绘制曲线，证实苹果通过系统更新秘密限制了旧款设备的处理器峰值性能。面对确凿数据，苹果承认实施了性能节流，但解释这是为防止电池老化的设备意外关机所采取的保护机制。然而，这一隐瞒引发了全球范围内对“计划性报废”的猛烈抨击，巴黎爆发了针对苹果门店的抗议，法国司法机构更就此立案进行刑事调查；代理过苹果反垄断诉讼的律师Shanna Scarlett也在美国发起新的集体诉讼，指控苹果未经充分披露擅自修改消费者财产的核心性能。加拿大国会质询与企业问责困境 (15:45) 在加拿大议会听证会上，苹果加拿大公司法律顾问Jacqueline Famulak为性能限制辩护，坚称更新的唯一目的是帮助用户继续使用旧手机而非逼迫换新。自由党议员Nathaniel Erskine-Smith就苹果先前的公开道歉向其尖锐质询，追问未告知降速行为究竟是故意还是疏忽，Famulak在词锋交锋后最终承认隐瞒并非蓄意。批评者强调，苹果此前从未向消费者说明只需以较低成本更换电池即可恢复性能，而是让用户在忍受卡顿、频繁关机或花费数百美元购买新手机之间作选择。律师Scarlett指出，面对万亿美元级别的科技巨头，普通个人因数额较小的经济损失很难单独维权，必须依赖集体诉讼与基层立法运动，才能迫使科技寡头向公众负责。该调查展示了科技巨头在维修垄断与计划性报废争议中的两难处境：尽管苹果坚称其设计与软件调控均出于安全与使用体验考量，但全球监管机构、立法代表及民间维修权运动正在形成合力，试图打破这种高度封闭的商业控制模式。

Detailed notes — zh

## Background 该视频由加拿大广播公司（CBC News）旗舰新闻栏目《The National》于 2018 年 10 月 9 日发布在 YouTube 平台。视频简介显示，节目组通过暗访卧底的形式，深入调查了苹果公司备受争议的商业行为，重点揭露其高昂离谱的官方维修报价以及轰动一时的“降速门”电池丑闻。 ## TL;DR 调查记者携带一台仅因排线引脚弯曲导致黑屏的 MacBook Pro 暗访苹果零售店，店员谎称进水并开出高达 1200 美元的天价报价，而独立维修专家仅用 1.5 分钟且几乎零成本便将其修复。以此为切入点，节目揭开了苹果利用专用螺丝、强力粘胶及版权威胁遏制第三方维修的内幕，并展现了席卷北美的“维修权”运动抗争。随后，调查深入到 Geekbench 揭露的“降速门”事件，记录了苹果通过系统更新暗中削弱旧机性能所引发的全球公愤、法国刑事调查及加拿大国会听证会上的严厉质询。 ## Atmosphere & style 整部纪录片节奏紧凑、调查色彩浓厚，充满了硬核揭黑的新闻力量感。暗访镜头下的压抑与独立维修店内 1.5 分钟即刻修好的戏剧性反差令人震撼，随后听证会上议员步步紧逼的质问更是将矛盾推向高潮。观众在观看过程中会深刻体会到普通消费者面对万亿科技巨头时的无力感，同时也能感受到维权人士为争取透明度与公平维修权所展现出的坚定抗争意志。 ## Bulletin - [00:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=3s) CBC 调查团队暗访发现，苹果官方零售店对一台仅因排线引脚弯曲导致黑屏的 MacBook Pro 开出了高达 1200 美元的高昂维修单，而独立维修店仅耗时 1.5 分钟通过拨正引脚即可免费或极低成本修复。 - [08:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=482s) 苹果通过特制五角螺丝、强力胶粘电池、系统固件绑定配件以及单次高达 15 万美元的版权诉讼威胁，系统性地封锁独立维修与自主维修渠道。 - [12:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=722s) Geekbench 创始人通过数百万条跑分数据，证实苹果在 iOS 系统更新中刻意对电池老化的旧款 iPhone 进行性能降频，坐实了引发全球众怒的“降速门”丑闻。 - [10:23](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=623s) 针对苹果隐瞒降频与垄断维修的指控，美国 17 个州已引入“维修权”法案，同时法国展开刑事调查，北美亦爆发针对苹果涉嫌消费者欺诈的大规模集体诉讼。 ## Key takeaways - [00:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=3s) 苹果零售店利用液体接触指示器（LCI）变红为由，将轻微接触不良定性为全机液体损坏，拒绝局部维修并给出了接近新机价格的报价。 - [02:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=172s) 曼哈顿独立维修商路易斯·罗斯曼指出，受机身内部湿度影响变红的传感器并不能证明泼溅，且苹果的定价模式意在促使消费者弃修购新。 - [05:59](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=359s) iFixit 创始人凯尔·温斯指出，科技巨头在将产品卖出后仍试图垄断售后全流程，这种商业控制模式已经违背了传统消费品常理。 - [08:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=482s) 苹果在硬件层面采用特制五角螺丝和强力胶粘剂，在软件层面通过更新锁死更换非原厂配件的设备，全方位阻碍用户自主维修。 - [08:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=482s) 苹果通过行使电路图和维修手册的版权发起法律威胁，单次索赔可达 15 万美元，以此压制独立维修社区的知识传播与技术自救。 - [11:07](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=667s) 北美“维修权”立法运动逐步升级，活动人士预测只要有单一主要司法管辖区立法破局，便会引发全行业简化运营的连锁开放效应。 - [12:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=722s) Primate Labs 创始人通过 Geekbench 数据库分析证实，苹果在 iOS 更新后对电池老化的旧机进行了性能腰斩式的降频限制。 - [13:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=820s) 苹果承认通过更新降速老款设备，辩称为防止意外关机，但引发了全球消费者对其搞“计划性淘汰”逼迫换新的强烈声讨。 - [13:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=820s) 法国政府将“计划性淘汰”定为违法行为并对苹果发起司法调查，巴黎街头也爆发了抗议苹果垄断与欺诈的示威活动。 - [15:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=908s) 加拿大国会听证会上，议员尖锐指出苹果剥夺了消费者的知情权，让用户在忍受卡顿与高昂换新之间承受不对称的虚伪选择。 - [15:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=908s) 集体诉讼律师指出，鉴于单个消费者面对万亿美元巨头维权成本极高，集体诉讼和政府反垄断调查是迫使科技巨头透明负责的关键防线。 ## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=3s) 苹果零售店背后的高昂维修黑幕苹果公司极力向公众展示的形象是：宽敞明亮的零售店里挤满了渴望最新产品的消费者，年轻且专业知识丰富的店员热情地提供服务，人们争先恐后地购买那些精美的新设备。然而，这一完美的正面形象最近却因不断曝光的“天价维修费”丑闻而蒙上阴影。许多消费者反映，他们在苹果零售店（Apple Store）遭遇了极其离谱的维修报价。为了验证这些指控，CBC《国家报》（The National）调查团队决定携带一台有常见故障的 MacBook Pro 笔记本电脑，采用暗访的形式前往多伦多的一家苹果零售店进行实地调查。这台电脑的屏幕在开机时变得非常暗，几乎无法看清。在暗访视频中，苹果店员在拆开电脑后，指着内部的红色小圆点对卧底记者解释说，这些原本是白色的指示器变红意味着电脑接触过液体，且液体已经蔓延到了整台电脑。店员坚称，无论故障的根本原因是什么，只要有液体接触，苹果就无法进行局部维修，必须整体解决。随后，该店员给出了令人咋舌的报价：更换主板需要 600 美元，更换上外壳（Top Case）需要 500 美元，加上 100 美元的人工费，总计已达 1200 美元；如果还需要更换显示屏，则要再加 780 美元。店员明确表示没有更便宜的替代方案，并直言：“不管起因是什么，即使不是液体造成的，我们也必须先解决液体损坏问题，因为在有损坏的情况下，我们是无法进行局部维修的。” 这一高昂的维修费用已经极其接近购买一台全新电脑的价格。 - **苹果零售店报价明细**： - 主板（Logic Board）更换：600 美元 - 上外壳（Top Case）更换：500 美元 - 人工服务费：100 美元 - 潜在的显示屏更换费：780 美元 - 基础维修总计：1100 至 1200 美元（不含显示屏） --- ### [02:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=172s) 曼哈顿独立维修店的“奇迹”诊断为了验证苹果零售店的诊断是否属实，调查团队带着同一台 MacBook Pro 来到了位于纽约曼哈顿第一大道的 Rossmann Repair Group。这家小店由路易斯·罗斯曼（Louis Rossmann）经营，他从大学时期就开始维修电脑，如今在 YouTube 上发布复杂的电子产品维修教学视频，吸引了数百万次的播放量。罗斯曼对苹果的商业策略有着清醒的认识，他指出：“总的来说，苹果就是想让你购买新设备，而不是修理你的旧设备。” 罗斯曼接过这台被苹果宣判“死刑”的电脑，开始进行现场检测。他首先用显微镜的强光照射屏幕背面，向记者展示屏幕上其实有光标在移动，这证明显示屏本身和大部分系统运行完全正常，仅仅是背光（Backlight）不工作。随后，他拆开机器，将镜头对准屏幕与主板连接的排线接口。在显微镜下，罗斯曼一眼就看出了问题所在：排线插槽中的一根引脚（Pin）向外弯曲了，导致接触不良。他拿起镊子，轻轻地将这根引脚拨回原位，重新插上排线并开机——伴随着熟悉的开机音，屏幕瞬间亮起，苹果标志清晰可见。整个维修过程仅仅花费了大约 1.5 分钟。对于苹果店员坚称的“水渍导致损坏”，罗斯曼解释了其中的猫腻。虽然电池旁的液体接触指示器（LCI）确实变红了，但这些传感器不仅在遇到液体时会变红，在湿度极高的房间里也会因为潮气而变红，即使电脑从未泼溅过任何液体。当被问及如果普通顾客进店遇到这种故障会收多少钱时，罗斯曼大方地表示，如果只是把引脚拨回去，他根本不会收费；如果顾客坚持要更换全新排线，根据机型和拆解难度，费用也仅在 75 到 150 美元之间，且 99% 的情况下，拨回引脚就足以让电脑一直用到报废。 ```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: 苹果官方与独立维修店的诊断对比 accDescr: 展示同一台屏幕变暗的MacBook Pro在苹果零售店与独立维修店的不同诊断路径及结果。 Start["MacBook Pro 屏幕变暗"] --> Apple["苹果零售店 (Apple Store)"] Start --> Rossmann["独立维修店 (Rossmann)"] subgraph ApplePath ["苹果官方路径"] Apple --> LCI["检测到液体指示器 (LCI) 变红"] LCI --> Overcharge["判定为严重液体损坏"] Overcharge --> Quote["报价 $1,100 - $1,200\n(建议更换主板、外壳或买新机)"] end subgraph RossmannPath ["独立维修路径"] Rossmann --> Inspect["显微镜检测与排查"] Inspect --> FindBent["发现屏幕排线引脚弯曲"] FindBent --> Fix["用镊子将引脚拨回原位\n(耗时 1.5 分钟)"] Fix --> Success["屏幕恢复正常 (免费或仅收排线费)"] end ``` --- ### [05:59](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=359s) 苹果的官方回应与“右修权”运动的兴起针对这一暗访结果以及外界对其系统性高估维修费用的指控，调查团队向苹果公司提出了质询。苹果拒绝派出发言人接受采访，但发表了一份书面声明，声称其客户由“使用原厂配件的苹果认证专家”提供服务是保障体验的最佳方式，并否认了故意高估维修成本的行为。然而，罗斯曼透露，这种现象绝非个案，每天都有大约 10 到 30 名顾客来到他的店里，讲述着在苹果零售店被告知“无法维修”或“维修费太贵”的相同遭遇。这种对维修控制权的垄断，催生了席卷北美的“右修权”（Right to Repair）运动。在加利福尼亚州圣路易斯-奥比斯波（San Luis Obispo），坐落着北美最成功的第三方维修机构——iFixit。这家拥有 125 名员工、年收入达 2100 万美元的企业，致力于测试各种手机和电脑，诊断常见故障，开发维修工具，并在互联网上免费提供维修手册。iFixit 的创始人凯尔·温斯（Kyle Wiens）同时也是“右修权”运动的领军人物。温斯指出，过去人们购买了商品就能在需要时自行修理，但现在无论是吸尘器、电视还是笔记本电脑，获取维修信息和配件变得越来越困难。他尖锐地批评道：“对于一家制造商来说，声称自己制造了产品并将其推向世界，却还要控制售后的方方面面，这完全是疯了。” --- ### [08:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=482s) 苹果阻碍自主维修的“设计花招”与法律威胁凯尔·温斯向调查团队展示了苹果为了阻止普通人或第三方维修设备而精心设计的各种障碍。首先是螺丝的设计，苹果在其 MacBook Pro 底部使用了一种特制的“五角防撬螺丝”（Pentalobe Screw）。这种螺丝有五个独特的凹角，在日常生活中根本找不到匹配的工具，其目的纯粹是为了增加普通人拆开设备的难度。其次是电池的固定方式，以 iPhone 8 为例，苹果使用了类似 3M Command 的强力胶粘剂将电池牢牢粘在机身内部，温斯在现场尝试拆卸时，粘胶直接断裂，使得电池极难在不损坏其他部件的情况下被取出。更恶劣的是软件层面的锁死。在某些型号的苹果手机上，如果屏幕摔碎，原本只需简单且便宜地更换一个主控 Home 键即可，但苹果通过重新编写操作系统，使其能够检测非官方授权的 Home 键。一旦检测到非授权配件，手机就会直接罢工。温斯用汽车做了一个生动的比喻：“这就像你开着车，可能换了副厂轮胎，然后突然特斯拉推送了一个软件更新，你的车就因为这些副厂轮胎而无法行驶了。” 除了在产品设计上设限，苹果还将未经授权的第三方维修商视为眼中钉。路易斯·罗斯曼和 iFixit 都曾因在网上发布电路原理图或维修手册而收到过苹果的律师函。温斯解释说，由于苹果编写了这些手册并拥有版权，一旦有人将其分享到网上，苹果就会发出法律警告，威胁如果不立即下架，将面临每次侵权高达 15 万美元的索赔。这些法律恐吓极大地压制了网络上维修信息的传播。 - **苹果阻碍维修的主要手段**： - **特制五角螺丝（Pentalobe Screws）**：防止用户使用常规工具拆卸。 - **强力胶粘电池**：增加电池更换难度，易造成二次损坏。 - **软件硬件绑定**：通过系统更新锁死更换了非授权配件（如 Home 键）的设备。 - **版权法律威胁**：利用版权法起诉分享电路图和维修手册的机构，单次索赔可达 15 万美元。 --- ### [10:23](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=623s) 席卷全美的立法抗争面对苹果的强势垄断，局势正在发生转变。在纽约州议会大厦，路易斯·罗斯曼和“右修权”运动的成员们专门设立了一个“维修咖啡馆”（Repair Cafe），向议员们现场演示电子产品维修的真实过程，以此争取政治支持。截至 2018 年，美国已有 17 个州引入了“右修权”立法提案。这些法案一旦通过，将强制要求苹果等科技巨头向第三方维修店和普通大众公开维修手册，并提供原厂备件。罗斯曼在现场表达了他的诉求，他希望苹果能够承认自己的局限性，并放手让其他人来做这些工作：“我希望苹果能做出改变，承认如果他们不愿意做某些维修工作，也许其他人愿意去做。” ### [11:07](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=667s) 维修权立法的连锁反应与苹果的商业模式质疑维修权支持者与科技巨头之间的拉锯战正处于关键节点。活动人士表示，他们并非要求制造商主动示好，而仅仅是希望他们停止打压独立维修界。他们预言，只要有任何一个立法辖区（例如安大略省或美国的某个州）率先通过“维修权（Right to Repair）”法案，整个行业便会发生连锁崩溃，犹如大坝决堤一般：“Manufacturers aren't going to provide products differently to people in one jurisdiction they want to simplify their operations.”（制造商不会针对单一司法辖区的消费者提供不同的产品，他们希望简化运营流程。）这场维修权运动让公众将目光投向了苹果公司（Apple）掠夺性的商业手段。对普通用户而言，苹果官方开出的维修报价常常高得离谱，几乎与购买一台新电脑的价格无异。这种昂贵的售后策略迫使许多忠实消费者开始怀疑，苹果是否真的把客户的最佳利益放在心上，抑或是在通过维修壁垒迫使他们更换新硬件。 --- ### [12:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=722s) “降速门”疑云：Geekbench 的数据深潜苹果在遭遇昂贵维修的指控之后，又卷入了一场更严重的信任危机：消费者怀疑苹果通过隐秘的系统策略，逼迫他们购买全新智能手机。调查记者 Terence McKenna 指出，这一事件的突破口源自加拿大多伦多的一家软件公司。去年 12 月的一个夜晚，Primate Labs 的创始人 John Poole 正试图解开一个技术谜团。他的公司开发了知名跑分软件 Geekbench，全球数以百万计的极客与普通用户都在用它评估手机和电脑的性能。当时大量用户向他反映，他们的 iPhone 运行速度突然大幅变慢。John Poole 自己的妻子也顺口抱怨，她的 iPhone 6s 感觉极其卡顿；当他对该设备进行基准测试时，测试跑分远低于同款设备的正常水平，让他一度难以置信。随后，他在网上偶然看到一条匿名帖子，建议手机变慢的用户“更换电池”。受到这一线索的启发，Poole 迎来了一个关键时刻：“It was sort of a Eureka moment and that's what prompted me to really take a deep dive into our database of performance data and see what was happening.”（这就像是一个灵光乍现的‘尤里卡时刻’，促使我深入挖掘性能数据库，看看究竟发生了什么。）他将数百万台 iPhone 的测试数据绘制成图表，结果清晰地显示出：在安装了苹果最新的操作系统升级之后，大量设备的性能曲线遭受了严重的“腰斩”。 ```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: iPhone降速门发现流程 accDescr: 展示从用户抱怨手机变慢到John Poole通过Geekbench数据证实苹果限制性能的完整经过。 subgraph S1["用户异常反馈"] A["多名用户及Poole妻子反映 iPhone 6s 等设备严重变慢"] --> B["匿名网络帖子建议： '更换电池即可解决卡顿'"] end subgraph S2["数据取证与证实"] B --> C["分析 Geekbench 数百万条测试数据"] C --> D["证实苹果通过 iOS 系统更新 刻意对老化设备进行性能降频（Throttling）"] end subgraph S3["公开指控"] D --> E["Poole 正式公开发布调查报告 形成针对苹果公司的科学指控"] end ``` --- ### [13:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=820s) 承认降频、全球怒火与“计划性淘汰” John Poole 随后公开发布了他的研究成果，这相当于向位于加州库比蒂诺的苹果总部发起了一场具有确凿科学数据的公开指控：苹果在未告知用户的情况下，刻意限制了老款手机的性能。令人意外的是，苹果迅速承认了这一降频行为，但坚称其初衷只是为了防止电池老化的手机意外关机、保护电池寿命，自称“没有做错任何事”。这一官方承认在全球范围内掀起了轩然大波，并迅速引发了关于“计划性淘汰（Planned Obsolescence）”的强烈质疑——消费者认为苹果意图通过人为降低旧设备体验，迫使消费者为不需要的高昂换新买单。尽管苹果首席执行官 Tim Cook 出面辩解称：“We always focus on the user experience so at the heart of any decision that we make is the user.”（我们始终专注于用户体验，因此我们所做任何决定的核心都是用户），但全球消费者的愤怒已难以平息。在巴黎，抗议者走上街头，将苹果描绘成欺骗消费者并涉嫌逃税的“邪恶帝国”。法国政府更是将计划性淘汰定为违法犯罪行为，并对苹果展开了正式的司法调查。 --- ### [15:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=908s) 诉讼风暴与加拿大议会听证会的质询交锋在苹果大本营美国加利福尼亚州，曾参与反垄断诉讼并迫使苹果支付 4.5 亿美元罚款的加拿大籍消费者权益律师 Shanna Scarlett 领衔对苹果发起了集体诉讼，控告苹果欺诈消费者。Shanna Scarlett 指出：“They actively reached in to a consumers phone through the operating system and made what is a large change in terms of the throttling of performance without properly disclosing it to consumers that is a you know a fairly invasive act for a company to do.”（他们主动通过操作系统深入消费者的手机，在未向消费者妥善披露的情况下对性能进行了大幅限制，对一家企业而言，这是一种极具侵入性的行为。）苹果拒绝了 CBC 记者的采访要求，但面对加拿大国会常务委员会听证会的传唤，苹果加拿大公司的法律总监 Jacqueline Famulak 不得不出庭作证。Famulak 在听证会上为苹果辩护，坚称软件更新的唯一目的就是帮助使用老化电池的用户继续使用设备而不发生意外关机，绝非为了促使他们购买新机。然而，这一逻辑遭到了多伦多自由党国会议员 Nathan Erskine-Smith 的犀利反驳： - **虚伪的选择困境**：Erskine-Smith 指出，如果苹果真心为了消费者考虑，就应该如实告知他们只需花很少的钱更换电池即可彻底解决问题，而不是让用户面临系统卡顿、自动关机或花费数百上千美元买新手机的极度不对称选择。 - **关于“未披露”的激烈对质**：针对 Famulak 坚称“苹果没有做错任何事”的论调，Erskine-Smith 追问苹果此前已就未披露（Non-disclosure）问题做出的公开道歉，并步步紧逼：“Now you've strangely today said Apple did nothing wrong but the issue is disclosure and Apple apologized for non-disclosure with related in relation to the slowed performance so was the non-disclosure intentional or inadvertent?”（你今天奇怪地声称苹果没做错任何事，但核心问题在于信息披露。苹果已经为未披露降速行为进行了道歉，那么这种未予披露到底是有意的还是无意的？） - **苹果代表的最终回应**：在反复追问下，Famulak 最终不得不辩称：“It was not intentional.”（这不是有意的。）律师 Shanna Scarlett 强调，苹果承认未充分向公众披露降速，正是集体诉讼能够成立的核心基石。她感叹单个消费者的力量在商业巨擘面前何其微弱：“How are you one person supposed to fight against Apple how is one person with ten dollars of harm supposed to fight against one of the most well capitalized companies in the entire world it's impossible.”（一个普通人怎么可能与苹果对抗？一个只遭受了 10 美元损失的个人怎么可能与世界上资本最雄厚的公司之一去打官司？这根本不可能。）这正凸显了消费者集体诉讼与监管调查的价值。长久以来支撑美国经济的硅谷科技明星们正面临前所未有的审视，公众与监管机构正发起日益强大的行动，迫使其商业行为对消费者更加透明与负责。 ## Notable quotes > [05:59](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=359s) 对于一家制造商来说，声称自己制造了产品并将其推向世界，却还要控制售后的方方面面，这完全是疯了。 — 凯尔·温斯 (Kyle Wiens) > [02:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=172s) 总的来说，苹果就是想让你购买新设备，而不是修理你的旧设备。 — 路易斯·罗斯曼 (Louis Rossmann) > [10:23](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk&t=623s) 我希望苹果能做出改变，承认如果他们不愿意做某些维修工作，也许其他人愿意去做。 — 路易斯·罗斯曼 (Louis Rossmann) ## Mentioned Apple, MacBook Pro, iPhone, iPhone 6s, iPhone 8, CBC News: The National, Terence McKenna, Rossmann Repair Group, Louis Rossmann, iFixit, Kyle Wiens, Primate Labs, Geekbench, John Poole, Tim Cook, Shanna Scarlett, Jacqueline Famulak, Nathan Erskine-Smith, Tesla ## Video description The National goes undercover to investigate some of Apple's controversial business practices including allegations of overpriced repair charges and the battery/slowdown scandal. Welcome to The National, the flagship nightly newscast of CBC News »»» Subscribe to The National to watch more videos here: https://www.youtube.com/user/CBCTheNational?sub_confirmation=1 Voice Your Opinion & Connect With Us Online: The National Updates on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenational The National Updates on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CBCTheNational »»» »»» »»» »»» »»» The National is CBC Television's flagship news program. Airing six days a week, the show delivers news, feature documentaries and analysis from some of Canada's leading journalists. [Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XneTBhRPYk)

Source quotes

[5:59] 凯尔·温斯 (Kyle Wiens): 对于一家制造商来说，声称自己制造了产品并将其推向世界，却还要控制售后的方方面面，这完全是疯了。 [2:52] 路易斯·罗斯曼 (Louis Rossmann): 总的来说，苹果就是想让你购买新设备，而不是修理你的旧设备。 [10:23] 路易斯·罗斯曼 (Louis Rossmann): 我希望苹果能做出改变，承认如果他们不愿意做某些维修工作，也许其他人愿意去做。

Source quotes

[9:33] Louis Rossmann: I'd like Apple to change by acknowledging that if they're not willing to do certain jobs, maybe somebody else would.

Original transcript

[0:03] [Applause] [0:07] this is the image of an apple store that [0:10] the company wants you to see masses of [0:12] customers hungry for the latest product [0:15] knowledgeable young staffers eager to [0:18] serve [0:21] [Applause] [0:22] mad rush to be among the first to buy a [0:24] brilliant new device [0:25] [Applause] [0:29] lately however that positive image is [0:31] being tarnished by stories of customers [0:34] being wildly overcharged for repairs in [0:37] Apple stores [0:42] we decided to use a hidden camera to [0:44] verify many reports that Apple customers [0:47] are often told they're malfunctioning [0:48] computers are not worth fixing [0:51] even when minor repairs could remedy the [0:53] problem our team came to a Toronto Apple [1:01] store with a macbook computer that had a [1:03] common problem the screen had stopped [1:05] worth take very dim when I tried to turn [1:08] on [1:15] [Music] [1:22] so yeah so there's a lot of liquid [1:25] that's gotten on the inside it's a [1:27] normal picture the little red dots here [1:29] they're normally white and it means that [1:31] they've come in contact of liquid so for [1:33] it to be basically all over the whole [1:34] computer music something's going through [1:38] the whole sure if that would need to be [1:41] looking at replacing quite a few [1:42] components are you sure it's a can it be [1:48] something else as well well regardless [1:50] of what the cause of it is if it isn't [1:52] the liquid we have to fix a liquid so [1:54] it's not like we can't do partial no Pez [1:56] when it's been damaged so what are my [1:58] options now this oh well what I was [2:00] going to say is basically all the [2:01] components that you need to replace is [2:03] going to cost more than $1,000 so to fix [2:05] it entirely cost more than $1,000 yeah [2:08] so the very least we'd need to replace [2:12] is the logic board and the topcase so [2:15] that we're looking at 600 plus 503 [2:17] $1,100 for the labor of 100 and then if [2:20] we need to replace the display as well [2:21] that's another 780 so the display we may [2:27] not need to replace but we're still [2:29] looking at a total of around [2:30] Wow so just to be clear there's no [2:36] cheaper alternative for this [2:40] I mean that that cost is very close to [2:42] the cost of buying a new computer in [2:44] terms of pixie in the store [2:49] [Music] [2:52] many Apple customers have shared similar [2:54] experiences and so we decided to [2:56] double-check the diagnosis on 1st Avenue [3:00] in Manhattan there is a small computer [3:02] repair store run by Luis Rossmann he [3:05] started fixing computers in college and [3:07] now makes youtube videos teaching people [3:09] how to repair complex items overall [3:13] Apple tries to get you to purchase a new [3:15] device instead of a pair year old his [3:18] videos often draw millions of views we [3:23] brought him the computer that the Apple [3:25] store in Toronto said was not worth [3:26] fixing so this is a macbook pro that [3:31] Apple the Apple store said but it cost [3:34] $1,200 to fix and wasn't worth doing all [3:37] right let's take a look and see if [3:38] that's true [3:38] see you see you can see the Apple logo [3:40] there hmm and watch if I take a light [3:43] and I put it through there you'll [3:44] actually be able to see everything on [3:45] the screen so this is my microscope [3:47] light and when I put it right through [3:49] here you can see that there's a cursor [3:54] there and then it's moving so most of [3:55] the screen is working properly it's just [3:57] that this they'll backlight is not [3:58] working right this could be either due [4:00] to a bad screen a bad motherboard bad [4:02] cable but we'll figure that out once we [4:04] open it up [4:13] all right so let's take a look on the [4:16] inside of this now this is where the [4:19] screen is gonna connect to the computer [4:21] okay so the first thing I'd want to do [4:22] is examine that area of it to see what [4:24] it looks like see if I see the pin [4:27] that's sticking out okay so that pin is [4:29] actually most likely the pin for the [4:31] backlight and as you can see it's [4:32] probably not making contact because it's [4:34] bent outwards and I got my set of [4:36] tweezers over here and I'm just gonna [4:37] try to push that back into the slot and [4:40] try to get it back into its groove so [4:44] that when I replug in the connector [4:45] it'll work at the Apple store they [4:47] suggest that this was water damage well [4:49] you can see that there are water [4:51] indicators that have turned red so [4:52] that's why they got that idea and [4:54] they're by the battery so this this is a [4:57] water indicator and these these turn red [5:00] when they see liquid however the thing [5:02] here is that these not only turn red [5:04] when they see liquid they also turn red [5:06] anytime there is humidity so if you have [5:09] this in a very humid room all of these [5:10] sensors will turn even if you've never [5:12] spilled liquid on the machine all right [5:14] so let's plug this back in and hope for [5:19] the best all right as you can see we've [5:22] got an apple and we have a light so it [5:24] fixed yeah now that took you like [5:27] one-and-a-half minutes maybe so if I [5:30] walked in off the street with this [5:31] problem what would you charge - for the [5:33] repair you just did if somebody wanted [5:35] me to just bend the pin back I wouldn't [5:36] charge them for that I would say I'm [5:38] gonna rework your original cable that [5:40] may not last long term but here it's [5:43] free if they wanted us to replace the [5:45] cable depending on the model anywhere [5:46] from 75 to 150 depending on the [5:48] difficulty of opening that model but [5:50] something like this we wouldn't charge [5:51] for and 99% of the time just bending the [5:53] pin back it'll allow it to last until [5:55] the end of the life of the computer [5:59] we asked Apple to respond to this [6:01] incident to fix it entirely will cost [6:06] more than a thousand dollars yeah [6:07] and to the widespread allegations a [6:09] similar corporate behavior they declined [6:12] to provide a spokesman but issued a [6:14] statement claiming their customers are [6:16] best served by Apple's certified experts [6:19] using genuine parts they denied [6:22] systematically overestimating repair [6:24] costs how often do people show up here [6:27] with the Apple Store telling them it [6:29] can't be fixed or it's too expensive [6:30] somewhere between 10 and 30 times a day [6:32] no kidding yeah [6:41] in San Luis Obispo California iFixit is [6:44] probably the most successful third-party [6:46] repair business in North America the [6:50] business test cell phones and computers [6:52] diagnosis problems that regularly occur [6:55] and develops the tools and techniques to [6:57] repair them they sell the tools and [7:00] repair manuals over the internet I fix [7:04] it has 125 employees and makes 21 [7:07] million dollars a year the business is [7:11] owned by Kyle Wiens who is also a [7:13] leading spokesman for the national right [7:15] to repair movement it used to be that [7:17] you if you bought something you'd be [7:19] able to get it fixed when you needed to [7:21] and over time we've lost that ability [7:23] whether it's a vacuum or a television or [7:25] a laptop it's increasingly more [7:28] challenging to get access to the [7:30] information that you need or for local [7:31] shops to get the parts so right you're [7:33] pairs of movement and a set of [7:35] legislation that would restore that [7:37] ability to fix your own stuff how does [7:39] that will fit into that question Apple's [7:41] perspective is that they want complete [7:42] control over the device from the moment [7:45] that you buy it all the way through the [7:47] end of life and right to repair take [7:50] some of that control away from them and [7:51] puts it in the hands of the owner and [7:52] and that's where for a manufacturer to [7:54] say we're making a product and we're [7:56] putting out in the world and we're going [7:57] to control every aspect of what happens [7:58] after the fact is is complete lunacy we [8:02] asked Kyle Wiens to show us some of the [8:04] tricks Apple uses to foil easy repairs [8:07] starting with non-standard screws so [8:10] this is the pentalobe screw it's on the [8:11] bottom of the MacBook Pro and it's it's [8:15] these little five points so you can see [8:16] it's it's not like any screw that you've [8:18] seen before and it turns out that Apple [8:20] invented their own screw it's it's [8:22] purely they want to make the device is [8:24] harder for normal people to open with [8:26] the tools that they already have lying [8:27] around then Apple started gluing in [8:31] batteries this is knife on eight and and [8:33] this is the battery and it's glued in [8:35] and that's unfortunate it doesn't need [8:37] to be glued in batteries didn't used to [8:38] be glue then [8:40] yeah it's a is 3m Qasim command [8:43] adhesives okay there and I broke and sir [8:54] there's your home button on some Apple [8:56] phones the home button would have to be [8:58] replaced if the screen cracked and I can [9:01] take the home button now it was a cheap [9:02] and easy repair but then Apple [9:04] reprogrammed the operating system to [9:06] detect non-authorized home buttons and [9:09] the phone would suddenly stop working [9:11] yeah it would be like if you're driving [9:13] your car and maybe you changed out the [9:15] tires and you had aftermarket tires and [9:17] then all of a sudden Tesla pushes out a [9:18] software update and your car stops [9:20] driving because of those aftermarket [9:21] tires it the stems from a mentality that [9:24] they're the center of the universe and [9:25] nobody else is doing anything with their [9:26] products Apple insists that its products [9:33] are best serviced by its own staff and [9:35] clearly sees unauthorized third-party [9:37] repair businesses as the enemy Louis [9:40] Rossmann and iFixit have received legal [9:42] threats from the company when they [9:44] published schematics a repair manual [9:46] information I would be happy with a [9:49] rollback on the intellectual property [9:52] law and the immigrations and customs [9:54] enforcement law that allow people to be [9:57] either thrown in jail or prosecuted for [10:00] importing parts and for showing a [10:03] schematic because Apple writes the [10:04] manual they own the copyright to it and [10:06] so if you post that manual online [10:07] they'll send you a legal takedown threat [10:09] saying that's our copyrighted material [10:11] if you don't take it down we'll sue you [10:12] for up to one hundred and fifty thousand [10:14] dollars in damages per incident and and [10:17] those legal threats have have really put [10:19] a damper on repair information online [10:23] the type may be turning against Apple on [10:25] the right to repair this is the New York [10:32] State Legislature where Lois Rossman and [10:34] the right to repair movement have set up [10:36] a repair cafe to put on a show for [10:38] politicians which one of these 1 2 & 3 [10:41] do you think is covering up the battery [10:44] connection so far this year 17 US states [10:49] have introduced right to repair [10:50] legislation that would force Apple and [10:53] other companies to provide repair [10:55] manuals and spare parts to third-party [10:58] repair businesses I'd like Apple to [11:00] change by acknowledging that if they're [11:02] not willing to do certain jobs maybe [11:04] somebody else would and to just I'm not [11:07] even asking them to extend an olive [11:09] branch [11:09] I'm just asking them to you know stop [11:11] extending the knife what happens when [11:13] the first state actually passes one of [11:15] these proposed legislation this is where [11:17] it gets really interesting is the moment [11:19] that one state passes things it's is the [11:21] dam is going to burst [11:22] so if Ontario decided working in the [11:24] past right to repair legislation that [11:26] could actually pass right to repair for [11:27] the world because manufacturers aren't [11:29] going to provide products differently to [11:31] people in one jurisdiction they want to [11:33] simplify their operations [11:36] the right to repair movement has put a [11:38] spotlight on some of apple's predatory [11:40] business practices I mean that that cost [11:43] is very close to the cost of buying a [11:44] new computer and many Apple customers [11:47] are starting to wonder whether the [11:49] company really has their best interest [11:51] at heart terence mckenna's documentary [11:55] continues after the break when we come [11:57] back Apple customers accuse the company [11:59] of a sneaky policy that pressured them [12:02] to buy new smart phones it was sort of a [12:05] Eureka moment and that's what prompted [12:07] me to really take a deep dive into our [12:10] performance data and see what was [12:12] happening after an incident last winter [12:21] Apple faced a fresh allegation customers [12:24] suspected the company had a policy [12:26] designed to pressure them into buying [12:28] new smart phones [12:29] here's Terence Mckenna with part two of [12:32] tonight's documentary [12:34] [Music] [12:36] one night last December at the office of [12:39] a Toronto software firm called primate [12:42] labs founder John Poole was trying to [12:45] solve a mystery [12:46] his company sells an application called [12:48] Geekbench [12:49] that millions of customers used to [12:51] analyze the performance of their cell [12:53] phones and computers his customers were [12:56] complaining that their Apple iPhones [12:58] were suddenly running a lot slower and [13:00] they wanted to know why my wife just [13:03] offhand mentioned that her iPhone 6's [13:05] felt slow and the numbers that we got [13:06] out of it were significantly lower than [13:08] what I'd expect from a phone like that [13:10] to the point where I didn't believe what [13:11] was happening [13:12] then he noticed an anonymous post on the [13:15] internet telling people if your iPhone [13:17] slow replaced the battery it was sort of [13:20] a Eureka moment and that's what prompted [13:22] me to really take a deep dive into our [13:25] database of performance data and see [13:27] what was happening Poole plotted the [13:30] performance of millions of iPhones on a [13:32] graph the performance of many phones was [13:35] cut down after the latest operating [13:36] system upgrade from Apple [13:40] John Poole published his findings which [13:43] amounted to a scientific accusation that [13:45] Apple headquarters in Cupertino [13:47] California was intentionally slowing [13:50] down customers phones without telling [13:52] them to his surprise the company quickly [13:54] admitted it but insisted they were doing [13:57] nothing wrong to see whether Apple will [14:02] face a class-action lawsuit admitted to [14:05] slowing down old giant says it's done to [14:08] save battery life Apple's admission that [14:10] it was intentionally slowing down the [14:12] performance of older iPhones triggered [14:15] news reports around the world [14:16] complains their iPhones were running [14:19] slow it looked like a case of planned [14:21] obsolescence an effort to pressure [14:23] consumers into buying new products when [14:25] they didn't have to but Apple's CEO Tim [14:28] Cook denied it we always focus on the [14:31] user experience so at the heart of any [14:34] decision that we make is the user there [14:39] has been an international upsurge in [14:41] anger from Apple customers [14:46] at this demonstration in Paris Apple is [14:50] portrayed as the evil empire accused of [14:53] tax evasion and cheating customers [14:55] France has moved to make planned [14:57] obsolescence a crime and has placed [15:00] Apple under formal investigation on [15:08] Apple's home turf in California Canadian [15:11] consumer rights lawyer Shanna Scarlett [15:13] was previously part of a successful [15:15] lawsuit that forced Apple to pay a four [15:18] hundred and fifty million dollar fine [15:19] for breaking US antitrust laws now she [15:23] has launched a class-action lawsuit [15:25] alleging that Apple has tricked its [15:27] customers they actively reached in to a [15:31] consumers phone through the operating [15:32] system and made what is a large change [15:35] in terms of the throttling of [15:36] performance without properly disclosing [15:38] it to consumers that is a you know a [15:41] fairly invasive act for a company to do [15:45] Apple declined our request for an [15:48] interview but when the government of [15:49] canada demanded an explanation from the [15:51] company at a parliamentary committee [15:53] hearing mark today we have from Apple [15:56] Canada exactly infamy lack Apple Canada [15:59] lawyer chuckling Samuel ACK agreed to [16:01] appear the sole purpose of the software [16:04] update in this case was to help [16:06] customers to continue to use older [16:08] iPhones with aging batteries without [16:10] shutdowns not to drive them to buy newer [16:13] devices I think that if Apple were truly [16:18] interested in the consumers interest [16:21] maybe it could have told them that the [16:23] entire problem would have been solved by [16:25] a battery replacement but it wasn't [16:26] necessary to face the stark choices of [16:29] throttling performance automatic [16:32] shutdowns or buying a new phone there [16:35] was a fourth option on the table that [16:36] was just replaced the battery I don't [16:39] think that Apple did anything wrong mr. [16:41] Erskine Smith you have five minutes [16:42] Apple's lawyer was challenged by Toronto [16:45] liberal MP Nathan Erskine Smith who [16:47] pointed out that Apple had issued a sort [16:49] of apology for its actions [16:51] now you've strangely today said Apple [16:54] did nothing wrong but the issue is [16:55] disclosure [16:57] and Apple apologized for non-disclosure [17:00] with related in relation to the slowed [17:03] performance so was the non-disclosure [17:06] intentional or inadvertent we did not [17:09] non disclose anything we didn't have [17:11] anything to not disclose but the slowed [17:12] performance of the phone the very reason [17:14] you're attending today that you did not [17:16] disclose to consumers was that [17:17] non-disclosure intentional or [17:19] inadvertent it was not intentional [17:26] Apple's admission that it did not [17:27] properly disclose the slowdown is key to [17:30] Shanna Scarlett's lawsuit against the [17:32] company a case that she says proves the [17:35] value of consumer class actions [17:37] how are you one person supposed to fight [17:39] against Apple how is one person with ten [17:41] dollars of harm supposed to fight [17:43] against one of the most well capitalized [17:46] companies in the entire world it's [17:48] impossible [17:49] [Music] [17:51] Silicon Valley has been driving the US [17:54] economy for years now but there is [17:56] growing scrutiny on the questionable [17:58] business practices of Apple and other [18:00] star companies here and a growing [18:02] movement to make them more accountable [18:04] to consumers for the National I'm [18:08] Terence Mckenna in Cupertino California