Bloomberg reports that Apple must face a lawsuit over claims that it had collected data from customers’ iPhones while they used applications approved by the company. The U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California, has dismissed some of the claims in the case. The suit now moves in the pretrial fact-finding stage. “I’m going to lift any stay of discovery, and discovery is going forward,” Koh told lawyers representing Apple and customers who filed the complaint.
Scott Kamber, a lawyer representing customers, said in court: Apple, through applications on iPhones, collected data on customers’ geographical locations even after users said they didn’t want to share the information. “I don’t want any obstruction here,” Koh said, threatening Apple with sanctions if she learns of any “game play” during the exchange of information before trial. The judge told Apple she wanted the company to start turning over relevant documents to plaintiffs’ lawyers by May 17.
Apple in its online privacy statement, says it collects “non-personal information,” meaning data that isn’t directly associated with individuals. The company may collect information such as zip codes, area codes, and the location where an Apple product is used “so that we can better understand customer behavior and improve our products, services, and advertising,” according to the statement. Well, the case is taking a long turf to get some set stage.
