Apple Pays $946 in Korean Lawsuit Over Location Data Collection, New Class Action Suit Coming

Reuters reports that Apple's Korean unit has paid out the equivalent of $946 after losing a lawsuit over the company's collection of iPhone location data. The judgment was issued in May, and Apple is said to have made the payment last month.

Apple Inc's Korean unit has paid compensation to a user of its popular iPhone after collecting location data without consent, lawyers and court officials said, the first payout by the U.S. company over these complaints.

In May, Apple Korea was ordered by the court to pay 1 million won ($946) in compensation to Kim Hyung-suk, a lawyer, two officials at Changwon District Court told Reuters on Thursday.

Emboldened by the successful lawsuit, Kim's law firm is now preparing a class action lawsuit over the location issue, and a website set up at sueapple.co.kr to allow interested users to sign on to the lawsuit has been overwhelmed by traffic.

sueapple co kr
Several lawsuits have already been filed in the United States over the issue, which was cast into the public light by independent researchers back in April. Apple responded to the controversy one week later, clarifying that the observed location data was actually nearby cell tower and access point data being downloaded to users' iPhones to assist with geolocation rather than the devices' actual locations as defined by GPS. Apple did, however, acknowledge several bugs in the way the location data was being handled, and addressed those issues with iOS 4.3.3 in early May.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

ios 18 4 carplay

iOS 18.4 Includes a Small But Useful Change for CarPlay

Sunday February 23, 2025 2:23 pm PST by
The first beta of iOS 18.4 is now available, and it includes a small but useful change for CarPlay. As we noted in our list of iOS 18.4 features, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra, which can be equipped...
prioritize notifications ios 18 4

Everything New in iOS 18.4 Beta 1

Friday February 21, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Apple finally released the first beta of iOS 18.4 to developers for testing purposes, and while the beta is lacking some of the Apple Intelligence features we were hoping for, there are some notable new additions. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Priority Notifications - Apple Intelligence There is a new Priority Notifications feature that can show you your most...
ios 18 4 ambient music

iOS 18.4 Adds New Ambient Music Feature

Friday February 21, 2025 11:06 am PST by
In iOS 18.4, there's a new Ambient Music option that can be added to Control Center. There are four different sound categories, including Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing. Each category can be added to Control Center separately, and tapping one plays a random selection of sounds or music from that particular category. You can't choose what's playing from Control Center, but if...
apple launch feb 2025 alt

Here Are the New Apple Products We're Still Expecting This Spring

Thursday February 20, 2025 5:06 am PST by
Now that Apple has announced its new more affordable iPhone 16e, our thoughts turn to what else we are expecting from the company this spring. There are three product categories that we are definitely expecting to get upgraded before spring has ended. Keep reading to learn what they are. If we're lucky, Apple might make a surprise announcement about a completely new product category. M4...
iPhone 16e Feature

Apple Denies Speculation Surrounding iPhone 16e's Lack of MagSafe

Friday February 21, 2025 8:01 am PST by
Apple has confirmed that its custom-designed C1 modem in the iPhone 16e has nothing to do with the device's lack of MagSafe support, according to Macworld. Following the launch of the iPhone 16e, there was some speculation online about how MagSafe magnets might have interfered with the C1 modem's cellular connectivity performance, and this was considered to be a potential reason for the...
iPhone Fold Vertical Feature

Alleged Display Sizes Leaked for Apple's Book-Style Foldable iPhone

Friday February 21, 2025 2:14 am PST by
Another week, another alleged leak regarding Apple's fabled foldable iPhone. We've been hearing rumors about an iPhone that folds in half for over eight years now. While they have lacked consistency, they do suggest that Apple has tested various prototypes, with the hinge seemingly the biggest challenge Apple has been trying to overcome. Apple wants to eliminate any crease in the screen before...
iCloud Versus UK Key Feature

Apple Pulls Encrypted iCloud Security Feature in UK Amid Government Backdoor Demands

Friday February 21, 2025 7:17 am PST by
Apple has withdrawn its Advanced Data Protection iCloud feature from the United Kingdom following government demands for backdoor access to encrypted user data, according to Bloomberg. The move comes after UK officials secretly ordered Apple to provide unrestricted access to encrypted iCloud content worldwide. Customers who are already using Advanced Data Protection, or ADP, will need to...
Apple iPhone 16e Feature

Apple Announces iPhone 16e With A18 Chip and Apple Intelligence, Pricing Starts at $599

Wednesday February 19, 2025 8:02 am PST by
Apple today introduced the iPhone 16e, its newest entry-level smartphone. The device succeeds the third-generation iPhone SE, which has now been discontinued. The iPhone 16e features a larger 6.1-inch OLED display, up from a 4.7-inch LCD on the iPhone SE. The display has a notch for Face ID, and this means that Apple no longer sells any iPhones with a Touch ID fingerprint button, marking the ...
oppo find n5 fingers

World's Thinnest Foldable Phone Launches in Europe and Asia

Thursday February 20, 2025 8:55 am PST by
Oppo has launched the Find N5, the world's thinnest foldable phone yet. When closed, the book-style foldable measures 8.93mm. That's less than a millimeter thicker than an iPhone 16 Pro, and thinner than the Honor Magic V3, which was the previous record holder. The device is barely thicker than its USB-C port. Indeed, Oppo has suggested that the obstacle to making it any thinner is now "the...

Top Rated Comments

kdarling Avatar
178 months ago
...Apple Korea was ordered by the court to pay 1 million won ($946)...
Okay, gentlemen. Here's the plan:

We get the warhead and we hold the world ransom for...

One MILLION Korean Won!

*cue evil laughter*
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Consultant Avatar
178 months ago


Ok. They were tracked. But what harm was caused to justify a payout?

They were NOT tracked. It was a cache on your own device.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iBLAKEE Avatar
178 months ago
Damn. I bet apple is flat out broke now.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LastName Avatar
178 months ago
$946! Hahahaaha!

They should have made Steve Jobs sit in the court personally, so after the Judge passed the decision, he could sit up, dig out his wallet and say "I think I've got that much in here".

That would be a cruel thing to do - you know Steve only gets $1/year in salary. He'd have to work almost a millennium to pay that off.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nagromme Avatar
178 months ago
Koreans are all sour losers.

I might wonder if it could be lawyers seeking to profit here, not a racial thing? Just thinking out loud...
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iStudentUK Avatar
178 months ago
Fair enough, if Apple broke Korean law then they should face the consequences. Simple.

Don't know how you quantify the amounts. 1 million won seems a bit arbitrary, unless it is a fine laid down by statute.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)