Class Action Lawsuit Over “Error 53” Faced By Apple

By Samir Ghanmi | Feb 12, 2016 10:36 PM EST

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Last week, Pfau Cochran Vertetis Amala a law firm based in Seattle went through to bring a class action lawsuit against Apple over the controversy of "Error 53" went according to plan as it made headlines.

iPhone 6 users experienced the error code Error 53 after receiving a third-party repair made to their smartphones which affected the Touch ID, making the devices unusable.

According to iFixit, third-party service repairs made using components that were not sourced from the original device caused the iPhone a Touch ID validation check to fail because the parts that are mismatched were unable to sync properly. Touch ID impact can include parts such as the screen, flex cable and Home button.

During an iOS update or restore, if the Touch ID validation check fails then the iPhone gets disabled from Apple, enclosing the smartphone effectively to protect Touch ID and the Secure Enclave where it stores information of the users fingerprint. Apple made it clear that without a valid check from the Touch ID, the Secure Enclave could maliciously be accessed.

The Error 53 lawsuit that is being lead by PCVA attorney Darrell Cochran declares Apple's security an invalid argument, reasoning that iPhones that are affected will work for several months, till repairs have been followed as the validation check only appears when updating a newer version of iOS. He also mentions that Apple failed to issue a warning about the consequence of an update which will be featured in the lawsuit.

Cochran said, "No materials we've seen from Apple ever show a disclosure that your phone would self-destruct if you download new software onto a phone," He also said, "If Apple wants to kill your phone under any set of circumstances and for any reason, it has to make it crystal clear to its customers before the damage is done."

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