Government officials question Apple about software update that slow down older iPhones

Apple late yesterday said that government officials have questioned it about a software update that slowed down older iPhones, which adds to a problem that has already drawn much consumer ire.

"We have received questions from some government agencies and we are responding to them," Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller said in a statement.

The company's statement does not refer to any specific agency.

Apple also reiterated that it did not release the update aimed at preserving battery life to make older phones obsolete and thus push new ones.

Apple intentionally cut the speed of most iPhones older than the iPhone 8 and iPhone X, which released late last year, when the battery power was low or the software sensed the battery was old.

"As we told our customers in December, we have never - and would never - do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades," the statement said.

Apple's statement comes amid reports that the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission have asked for more information from Apple regarding the software update from last January. 

The agencies are looking for any possible violation of securities laws, but have not yet determined whether there was wrongdoing, according to a report from Bloomberg on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Reuters had reported earlier that the chairman of a US Senate committee overseeing business issues has asked Apple to answer questions about its disclosures.

In December last year Apple had clarified that iPhone software could slow down some phones with battery problems. Aging lithium batteries deliver power unevenly, could lead iPhones shutting down unexpectedly to protect the delicate circuits inside, it said.

As many as 50 proposed class actions suits have been filed by consumers, over the company's latest software update. They claim that they were tricked by the company into believing their phones were close to the end of their life cycle, which forced them to buy new phones or pay up to $80 for a replacement battery.