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August 17, 2011

Over 25,000 iPhone users in SKorea sue Apple over location data collection

Each user demanding 1 million won ($932) in damages

By CBR Staff Writer

Despite Apple’s assurance to iPhone users in South Korea that the company did not collect location data from the phones, a group of over 25,000 users have reportedly filed a lawsuit against the company over privacy concerns.

The group says that Apple has violated privacy laws of the country.

Attorney Kim Hyeong-seok said 27,612 users have filed the lawsuit and are demanding 1 million won ($932) in damages each.

Apple spokesman Steve Park has not commented on the suit so far.

Apple has been emroiled in controversies over its smartphone OS after two British researchers revealed in April this year that the OS collected location data from users without their knowledge.

Later it was found that most smartphone OS including Google’s Android did the same. Both Apple and Google had offered apologies.

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Apple had said that it had tweaked its OS in an update that patched the "error."

However, last month. the communications regulator in South Korea, the Korea Communications Commission (KCC), ordered Apple to pay a fine for breaching privacy laws in the country.

Technology watchdog in France is also investigating the same concerns in the European country as well.

The KCC fined Apple’s local operation 3 million won ($2,830), but Google was not fined.

Apple Korea spokesman Steve Park had responded saying iPhones did not collect the location data of users.

"Apple is not tracking the location of your iPhone. Apple has never done so and has no plan to ever do so," he had told AFP.

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