Cook cops an earful as man sues Apple over iOS 7 auto-downloads

Cook cops an earful as man sues Apple over iOS 7 auto-downloads
Tim Cook labelled a 'corporate thug' by claimant

Apple CEO Tim Cook is being sued by a California man annoyed about the automatic downloads of the iOS 7 software to his family's iPhones and iPads.

Mark Menacher wants a mere $50 (About £31, AU$52) from Apple, plus a way to get rid of the iOS 7 install file on his devices so he can use the space for other apps and content, CNET reports.

Regardless of whether iOS device owners wish to install the new operating system, the large install file downloads by itself and requests users install each time they restart their device.

However, those, like Mr Menacher, who don't wish to upgrade to the colourful new OS, are lumbered with the sizeable file, rending the once-available storage space unavailable.

Apple's policy is partly why there's always such a speedy adoption of its annual software tweak, with iOS 7 usage reportedly up to 72 per cent at the time of writing.

Corporate thuggery

In his submission to the Superior Court of California, the claimant reserved some choice words for Apple's boss when it comes to customer service.

He wrote: "Apple's disregard for customer preferences in relation to iOS7 is corporate thuggery. Steve Jobs was reportedly rough on company employees in pursuit of happy customers, but Tim Cook apparently cultivates a culture of contempt for customer satisfaction in pursuit of corporate profits. It is a policy that will eventually fail."

According to the report Mr Menacher is considering taking the case to a higher court as well as establishing whether there are grounds for a class action suit.

TOPICS
Chris Smith

A technology journalist, writer and videographer of many magazines and websites including T3, Gadget Magazine and TechRadar.com. He specializes in applications for smartphones, tablets and handheld devices, with bylines also at The Guardian, WIRED, Trusted Reviews and Wareable. Chris is also the podcast host for The Liverpool Way. As well as tech and football, Chris is a pop-punk fan and enjoys the art of wrasslin'.

Latest in Websites & Apps
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Wednesday, March 26 (game #1157)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, March 26 (game #388)
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Tuesday, March 25 (game #1156)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, March 25 (game #387)
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Monday, March 24 (game #1155)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, March 24 (game #386)
Latest in News
Zotac Gaming RTX 5090 Graphics Card
Nvidia Blackwell stock woes are compounded by price hikes as more RTX 5090 GPUs soar in pricing, and I’m sick and tired of it all at this point
A collage of Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch and Tatiana Maslany's She-Hulk
Marvel fans are already tired of Doomsday and Secret Wars cast gossip as two more superheroes get linked with roles in the next two Avengers movies
An Apple Music pink/pixellated poster advertising DJ with Apple Music
DJ with Apple Music lands, allowing subscribers to build and mix DJ sets directly from its +100 million-song catalog
The Meta Quest 3 and controllers on their charging station which is itself on a wooden desk next to a lamp
Forget Android XR, I've got my eyes on Vivo's new Meta Quest 3 competitor as it could be the most important VR headset of 2025
Samsung Galaxy S25 from the front
The Now Bar on Samsung One UI 7 is about to get a lot more useful – and could soon match Live Activities on iOS
Marvel Rivals
Marvel Rivals will get two new hero skins for Moon Knight and Black Panther this week meaning I'll now need to farm even more Units