‘Irreversible suffering’: Apple faces class-action lawsuit over lack of safety measures for children

A new class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of a 9-year-old girl and her guardian, accusing Apple of willfully failing to address a recurring problem with child sexual abuse material on its iCloud data storage platform.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California by law firm Buche Law Firm and Eisenberg & Baum, alleges that Apple escaped liability for the distribution of child sexual abuse material on iCloud by engaging in “privacy washing,” which it defines as “a deceptive marketing tactic in which Apple touts its commitment to protecting its consumers’ privacy but fails to meaningfully implement its stated ideas.” It alleges violations of sex trafficking and consumer protection laws, breach of contract, misrepresentation and unjust enrichment.