Apple class action lawsuit overview:
- Who: A California consumer filed a class action lawsuit against Apple Inc.
- Why: The plaintiff claims Apple misrepresented the privacy capabilities of its Hide My Email feature.
- Where: The Apple class action lawsuit was filed in California federal court.
A new class action lawsuit claims Apple misrepresented the privacy capabilities of its Hide My Email feature.
Plaintiff Anthony Alvarez claims Apple falsely advertised that its Hide My Email feature would keep users’ real email addresses hidden and private.
The Apple class action lawsuit alleges the company’s Hide My Email feature was a key part of its privacy marketing strategy, designed to protect users’ privacy by generating unique, random email addresses that forward to the user’s real inbox.
Alvarez claims Apple’s Hide My Email feature was offered in two forms: a bundled version available through “Sign in with Apple” and an expanded version included with iCloud+ subscriptions. Both versions were marketed as keeping users’ real email addresses hidden from third parties, the Apple class action alleges.
However, Alvarez claims security researchers discovered that the Hide My Email feature did not work as promised, allowing anyone to uncover users’ real email addresses.
“Apple promised Hide My Email as a privacy feature customers paid for, whether directly through iCloud+ or indirectly through Apple’s product-wide privacy representations, and failed to deliver it,” the Apple class action lawsuit says.
Apple allegedly failed to fix Hide My Email flaw
Alvarez argues Apple has known about the issue for more than a year but has not fixed it, continuing to market and sell the feature as a core privacy component of its products and services.
The Apple class action lawsuit claims the company’s misrepresentations about the Hide My Email feature led consumers to pay a premium for Apple products and services based on the promise of enhanced privacy protections.
Alvarez wants to represent a nationwide class and California subclass of consumers who purchased an Apple product and used the Hide My Email feature.
He also wants to represent a nationwide and California subclass of consumers who purchased an iCloud+ subscription and used the Hide My Email feature.
Alvarez claims Apple violated California’s Unfair Competition Law, False Advertising Law and Consumers Legal Remedies Act and engaged in fraud, negligent misrepresentation, breach of contract, breach of implied contract, breach of implied warranty of merchantability and unjust enrichment.
The Apple class action lawsuit demands damages, restitution and injunctive relief to ensure Apple corrects its privacy representations and provides the promised level of privacy protection.
In July, a federal judge granted preliminary approval to a $250M Apple settlement over claims the company overhyped iPhone AI features.
What do you think about the claims made in this Apple class action lawsuit? Join the discussion in the comments.
Alvarez is represented by Victor J. Sandoval of Almeida Law Group LLC.
The Apple class action lawsuit is Alvarez v. Apple Inc., Case No. 3:26-cv-07274, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
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One thought on Apple class action alleges Hide My Email feature does not work as advertised
I have been an Apple user since 2009. I didn’t realize that hide my email wasn’t working until I started receiving unwanted emails.