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Consumer watchdog steps up probe into Apple

By Sohail Khan 16 September 2026, 1:02 am

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Business News›Industry›Cons. Products›Electronics›Consumer watchdog steps up probe into Apple on iOs 18 software update issues

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Consumer watchdog steps up probe into Apple on iOs 18 software update issues
Synopsis

Consumer watchdog investigates Apple for potential iOS 18 user rights violations. This probe follows numerous complaints regarding device malfunctions after the software update. The authority also imposed a significant penalty on ride-hailing platform Rapido. Rapido was fined for employing misleading interface designs and dark patterns. These practices were found to steer customers towards higher payments for rides.

New Delhi: The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has asked its investigation wing for a detailed probe into possible violations of consumer rights after complaints about problems with iPhone after users installed iOS 18.

The CCPA had raised the issue with Apple last year after receiving complaints linking the iOS 18 rollout to problems with displays, microphones and other functions. The dispute is about who should bear the cost when a device develops a problem following a software update.

Apple's software licence terms state that its software is provided without warranty and that users may have to bear repair costs if problems arise. Its limited warranty primarily covers hardware.

As of June, 79% of Apple users globally are running iOS 26, with the figure going up to 86% for users with devices introduced in the past four years. Asked on the consumer complaints, Apple told ET it monitors user feedback after every software update, and it did not identify issues, safety concerns, or similar trends related to launch of iOS 18 in India. It will be working with local authorities to provide clarity on the customer response to iOS 18, it said. The investigation could lead to penalties if the regulator establishes violations.

CCPA Fines Rapido

The CCPA has imposed a ₹10 lakh penalty on ride-hailing platform Rapido for allegedly using misleading prompts and interface design to push customers to pay more while booking rides. The consumer watchdog found that Rapido used two practices classified as dark patterns-"confirm shaming" and "interface interference"-and directed the company to discontinue misleading prompts and practices that steer consumers towards higher payments, the CCPA said in a statement on Tuesday.

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Rapido faces Rs 10 lakh penalty over ‘pay more, get a ride’ prompts, dark patterns in app

According to the CCPA, Rapido would initially quote a fare to a customer but, after the ride was booked at that price, display prompts indicating that paying more could improve the chances of securing a ride. This classifies as "confirm shaming" under the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023, the regulator said.

The CCPA also objected to Rapido's "set your price" slider. The authority said the design visually nudged customers towards paying more and constituted "interface interference", another dark pattern under the guidelines.

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While Rapido argued before the authority that the additional payment was voluntary and that its matching algorithm continued to search for a driver regardless of whether the customer agreed to pay more, the CCPA said the company didn't submit data demonstrating that paying an additional amount actually increased a customer's likelihood of securing a ride.

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