Chapter 1: The Butterfly Keyboard Settlement

Recently, members of a class action lawsuit against Apple's infamous butterfly keyboards achieved a significant legal win. The tech giant is required to pay $50 million to customers who faced issues with this keyboard design.

This amount seems negligible for a company of Apple’s stature, akin to spare change found in a couch. While I'm not a legal expert and can't assess the appropriateness of the settlement's size, it's important to note that Apple is not obligated to admit any wrongdoing, which limits the potential impact on their future conduct.

Let me share a personal perspective, albeit anecdotal and subjective. For me, it feels like having an unrelenting itch. My intuition tells me that this lack of accountability has been a long-standing issue for Apple.

My own experience with an iPhone 6 stands out; its screen lost touch functionality, leading to three replacements, with the third also succumbing to the same defect. Ultimately, I had to upgrade to an iPhone 7 at my own cost. Additionally, I detailed my struggles with two different non-butterfly keyboards, both of which developed a frustrating echo in text input.

In each instance, Apple representatives suggested the problems were my fault, a disheartening trend that lingers in the back of my mind.

Throughout the years, I've witnessed various sudden "glitch outbreaks" that Apple seems to conveniently overlook. Remember the infamous "antenna-gate"? Here’s a reminder from Business Insider:

"The issue emerged when the iPhone 4 launched on June 24, 2010. Users quickly discovered that signal bars vanished or calls dropped when the phone was held in the left hand."

How did Apple respond to these complaints? Instead of admitting fault, Steve Jobs famously claimed that users were simply holding the device incorrectly. If that’s not a form of victim-blaming, I don't know what is.

I understand Apple's reluctance to acknowledge mistakes. Admitting fault could lead to legal liabilities, which is something any corporation would want to avoid. But in a hypothetical situation where Apple was a person, I can imagine the conversation going something like this:

ME: "Apple…did you sneak out with my girlfriend?"

APPLE: "Absolutely not."

ME: "But I saw you leaving through a window…"

APPLE: "Not me."

ME: "You're a massive tech company wearing a black turtleneck…"

APPLE: "Not me."

It seems that no amount of financial penalty, even $50 million, would be sufficient to instigate real change within Apple. Such transformation would necessitate a fundamental shift in their corporate culture. Given their current success with existing practices, there seems to be little incentive to modify their approach.

To be completely transparent, I spent four years working for Apple and was never aware of any explicit policy promoting dishonesty. I recognize that acknowledging mistakes could lead to future legal complications, and Apple was right to seek protections in this settlement. However, I still lament the evident lack of genuine accountability.

Adam Lashinsky discusses the concept of "Directly Responsible Individuals" in organizations, shedding light on accountability and corporate responsibility.

Chapter 2: Setting Up Accountability in Tech

In a world where accountability is essential, setting up measures on devices like iPhones and iPads is crucial.

This video outlines how to establish internet accountability on your iPhone or iPad using Accountable2You, a tool designed to enhance user responsibility.