Apple Being Sued Over Two-Factor Authentication
Apple knows its users are busy. During many of its events, CEO Tim Cook and his team have shared countless ways the company tries to simplify processes and daily tasks in order to improve the end-user experience. However, that doesn’t seem to be enough for New Yorker Jay Brodsky, and he has taken his issues with the company to court, according to a report from MacRumors.
It seems Brodsky has an issue with Apple’s two-factor authentication method and argues that the company has taken a once simple, one-step process and turned it into a multi-step process, which he believes is time-consuming and disruptive to users. Brodsky has filed a class action lawsuit against Apple, alleging that the company’s “coercive” policy of not allowing users the option to disable two-factor authentication after a two-week grace period is not only inconvenient, but it also violates several of California laws.
Brodsky claims Apple “imposes an extraneous logging in procedure that requires a user to both remember password; and have access to a trusted device or trusted phone number” when a device is enabled. He also alleges that he “and millions of similarly situated consumers across the nation have been and continue to suffer harm” which includes economic losses due to personal time wasted trying to use two-factor authentication.
MacRumors reported that Brodsky’s complaint is filled with “questionable allegations,” as he claims two-factor authentication was enabled on his Apple ID without his knowledge or consent via an automatic software update released by Apple. This claim will likely be proven false since Apple requires two-factor authentication to be enabled by users themselves, on an opt-in basis.
Brodsky is also claiming two-factor authentication is required each time you turn on an Apple device, and that the process takes “two to five minutes or longer,” but MacRumors has also disputed these claims.
Apple Sued Over Not Letting Customers Disable Two-Factor Authentication After Two Weeks https://t.co/hkHtdTCbHb by @rsgnl pic.twitter.com/4CbEQnvWKg
— MacRumors.com (@MacRumors) February 9, 2019
Apple says its decision to prevent users from turning off two-factor authentication after two weeks is simply for additional protection, as “certain features in the latest versions of iOS and macOS require this extra level of security.”
“If you recently updated your account, you can unenroll for two weeks. Just open your enrollment confirmation email and click the link to return to your previous security settings. Keep in mind, this makes your account less secure and means that you can’t use features that require higher security,” the company explained in support documents.
It’s not clear what will come from Brodsky’s allegations, but he is hoping to receive monetary damages along with a court ruling that will prevent Apple from “not allowing a user to choose its own logging and security procedure.”
