A California court has given Apple a partial win in a class action lawsuit that accused the company of collecting iPhone user data without proper consent. The case focuses on how Apple gathers analytics from its own apps, such as the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV, Books, and Stocks, even when users turn off tracking and analytics settings.
Bloomberg Law reported that Judge Edward J. Davila dismissed several key privacy claims in the lawsuit. He ruled that the plaintiffs failed to show that the data Apple collected counts as legally protected or confidential communication under the laws they cited. He also said it was unclear whether this type of data even fits the legal meaning of a private communication.
How the case started
The lawsuit traces back more than three years to tests run by security researcher Tommy Mysk. He found that Apple apps sent detailed activity data to Apple, whether or not users agreed to share analytics. According to his findings, the App Store sent Apple information about app searches, ads users saw, how they found apps, and how long they viewed app pages.
He later saw the same pattern in Apple Music, Apple TV, Books, and Stocks. The Stocks app, for example, shared what stocks users watched, what they searched for, and which news articles they read. Mysk said that even with consent, “the level of detail is shocking for a company like Apple,” and he found it more troubling that it happened even when users opted out.
Why the judge dismissed key claims
The lawsuit accused Apple of violating the California Invasion of Privacy Act, the California Constitution, and several other privacy and consumer laws. It also argued that Apple gave “utterly false” promises that users control their data when they use iPhone apps.
Judge Davila rejected those claims for now. He said the plaintiffs did not clearly show that Apple’s analytics data qualifies as “confidential” or that its collection counts as a protected form of communication under those laws. He added that “it is doubtful whether Plaintiffs can sufficiently plead their dismissed claims given the deficiencies addressed in this Order.”
Still, he allowed one final attempt to rewrite and resubmit those dismissed claims, though he signaled that success looks unlikely.
This part of the lawsuit remains
This ruling only removed the California-based privacy claims. Other parts of the case already survived a previous court decision in September 2024 and remain active.
Those remaining claims focus on Apple’s “Share Device Analytics” setting. The plaintiffs argue that they withdrew consent by turning that setting off, yet Apple kept collecting data. Judge Davila said they made a strong enough case for claims such as breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and violations of consumer protection laws in Illinois, New Jersey, and New York.
So while Apple avoided some major privacy charges, the wider case over user consent and data collection on iPhones is far from over.
