Apple is being sued for something it didn’t do, by a car crash victim who claims Apple has the technology to stop iPhones working while drivers are behind the wheel — but fails to implement it.
The driver in question, Julio Ceja, was rear-ended by another motorist who was distracted while texting on their iPhone.
Apple previously patented technology that could lock drivers out of their mobile devices while behind the wheel, although this has never been made publicly available as part of iOS.
“Apple has the ability to outfit its iPhones with a lock-out device that would disable the smartphone while being used by motorists,” the lawsuit claims. “In fact, it has had this technology since 2008, and was granted a patent on it by the US Patent and Trademark Office in 2014. Yet, fearful that such a device would cause it to lose valuable market share, Apple refuses to employ the technology, choosing instead to allow the massive carnage to occur.”
iOS already has features built in which determine whether a user is driving. (Try setting Maps to give you walking instructions, and then hop behind the wheel of your car to see it amend these to driving instructions.) However, beyond filing a patent it hasn’t publicly discussed using this as a safety precaution, and it’s not known how well the technology would potentially work.
The lawsuit claims that Apple is breaching California’s unfair business practices law, and that it has, “an improper motive—profit before consumer safety—in its failure to install lock-out devices on its iPhones.”
Source: ArsTechnica
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
5 responses to “Apple sued after driver gets hit by iPhone texter”
Wait so let me get this correct, person gets rear ended by another driver which happens to be breaking the law by texting while driving but the victim of the crash is trying to sue Apple the manufacture of the device that was being used while driving and somehow this is Apple fault?
“profit before consumer safety” – I fail to see how Apple is making a profit by not implementing these features, Its obvious they haven’t perfected this feature otherwise it’d most likely be in iOS right now. If you’re going to sue Apple for not having this feature then you should sue the car manufacturer for not featuring an automatic breaking system. This case is clearly just for money.
Or better yet, sue the driver for not buying a car with full auto break.
and why the hell would apple prevent you to text while driving??? What if im in the passengers seat ?? wont i be able to text ?? or what if its something emergency ?? The driver shouldn’t text and that’s a law !!
Everybody should find Julio Ceja online and tell him what an idiot he is.