SC Says ‘Apple Has No Responsibility To Track Your Stolen iPhone Via Its Unique ID Number’

Apple iPhones come with unique ID numbers that serve as an identification mark for them in certain cases. However, the manufacturer does not have a duty to trace stolen iPhones using these identity numbers, overturning the observation of the Odisha State Consumer Commission, the Supreme Court of India observed.

The apex court added that the observation of the state consumer body was “unwarranted”.

The Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma was hearing the appeal of Apple India that challenged the commission’s order passed as a result of a complaint that concerned a stolen iPhone, according to Livelaw. While the company settled to pay the complainant as directed by the state commission, it objected to the directive around tracing stolen devices, which claimed it was Apple’s duty to do so.

Apple India claimed with these directions of the consumer body, the company will end up being the “law-enforcing agency of recovering lost products”. The Supreme Court observed that the complainant was compensated by Apple for the loss incurred because of the stolen iPhone. Further, it obliterated the relevant paragraph that concerns the duty to track the device in the state commission’s order.