An English businessman sued Apple: his wife found «deleted» messages on the family iMac and filed for divorce. This is not surprising — the messages were addressed to sex workers.
The plaintiff claims that Apple failed to inform users that deleting messages on one device does not delete them from all associated devices. The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, used iMessage to communicate with sex workers and believed he had permanently erased those messages from his iPhone.
However, the messages were still available on the iMac through synchronization with Apple ID. The businessman claims that Apple did not inform users that deleting a message on one device does not delete it from all related devices.
«If you are told that the message has been deleted, you have the right to assume that it has been deleted», — the plaintiff believes.
The discovery of these messages prompted his wife to file for divorce, which cost him over £5 million. Describing the divorce as painful and difficult, he believes that a more rational conversation could have saved his marriage if the messages had not been discovered so violently.
The businessman is seeking £5 million from Apple and aims to turn his lawsuit against Apple to a collective one for those who have faced similar problems. He claims that this situation was caused by a lack of clarity on how to delete messages.
The plaintiff suggested that clearer notices from Apple, such as «These messages are only deleted on this device», could have prevented this misunderstanding. His lawyer, Simon Walton, said:
«Apple did not clearly explain to users what happens to the messages they send and receive and, importantly, delete».
Walton emphasized that the iPhone tells users that «messages have been deleted by», which he believes is misleading because they can still be found on other linked devices. He wants to hear from other Apple customers who have experienced similar issues.
Source: The Times