$25 Million Class-Action Lawsuit Filed Against Apple in South Korea Over Location Data Collection

Last month, we noted that Apple had been ordered by a South Korean court to pay out one million won (approximately $946 at the time) to an iPhone user in a case regarding the company's collection of location data. At the time, it was reported that the plaintiff's lawyers were working to file a class-action lawsuit to cover additional users claiming to have been harmed by the collection.

sueapple co kr
Bloomberg reports that that lawsuit has now been filed, with about 27,000 users signing on to the lawsuit and each seeking one million won ($930) in compensation.

A group of South Korean users of Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s iPhone sued the company in a local court, claiming it invaded their privacy by allowing the smartphone to collect location data without their consent.

About 27,000 people joined a class-action suit against Apple’s South Korean unit and headquarters, seeking 1 million won per person ($930) in damages, according to a notice posted online by Mirae Law, which represents the plaintiffs. The suit was filed in Changwon, south of Seoul, where the law firm is located.

The report notes that in addition to the earlier judgment against Apple, the company was also fined 3 million won earlier this month by the Korea Communications Commission over the same issue. Apple has also been ordered to encrypt any location data collected, a step Apple previously promised to take.

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

TimUSCA Avatar
177 months ago
Anyone suing over this isn't aware of what was really going on. All smartphones cache this data. It just happened that iOS wasn't deleting it when it was supposed to. And it certainly wasn't delivered back to Cupertino.

There's a HUGE difference between the implications and what really happened.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SG1-1 Avatar
177 months ago
You have no problem letting Apple collecting your location WITHOUT your consent?

Apple took no location data, if you really understood that the information was only on the phone from cell towers location... That's it.

It never once went to Apple in Any way.

Get your story straight or stop posting garbage.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TimUSCA Avatar
177 months ago
Just like all smart-phones have the "grip of death", right?

Don't try to spin this into something it isn't... every smartphone LITERALLY collects this same information. The difference being that other smartphones were deleting the cache on a regular basis.

And again... the information iOS was collecting was *never* sent away from the phone it was stored on.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TimUSCA Avatar
177 months ago
You have no problem letting Apple collecting your location WITHOUT your consent?

Absolutely not. It was very inaccurate information and only served to better locate you at towers and on GPS when you wanted it. It's not like it had any information on what store you shopped at, and even if it did, it wasn't information that was transferred anywhere off the actual phone.

People are worked up over nothing.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Gemütlichkeit Avatar
177 months ago
Lawyers looking to cash in so the customers can get their $.84
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
igazza Avatar
177 months ago
2011 is going to be the year of the lawsuits.

This part is true.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)