Roberto Escobar, Pablo Escobar ’s brother is suing Apple for $2.6 billion. His company- Escobar Inc. has filed similar lawsuits in the past for “publicity”. It then uses this increased visibility to sell its own smartphones which are just phones manufactured by other companies with their own name. They scam people into giving them money and pull off hilarious stunts like these.
$2.6 Billion is a lot, even the European Union fined Google $1.4 Billion in an anti-trust case which at least made sense. This is $1 billion more than that, lets now try to understand the “reasons” Roberto took such an initiative.
Escobar bought an iPhone X after he was assured by Apple’s support team that the smartphone is the “most secure on the market” and is invulnerable to any sort of exploits which was important for him as there have been previous attempts on his life. He claims to have received strange Facetime calls after he purchased the phone and he was forced to go into hiding after he received a life-threatening letter in January 2019.
The three causes of action stated by his lawyers in an official document are- “Breach of Contract,” “Negligence/Negligence Misrepresentation,” and “Negligent Infliction of Emotional Distress.”
He wants $100 million for a Breach of Contract which refers to Apple breaking an “oral agreement” according to which the iPhone X is free from exploits.
He wants $500 million for Negligence/Negligence Misrepresentation which refers to Apple breached its duty of care by not notifying Escobar about the exploit.
Finally, for Negligent Infliction of Emotional Distress, he wants $2 billion for humiliation, mental and emotional distress. Will Escobar be successful?
God no, key aspects of the lawsuit seem shaky, the phone call, the facetime calls, and the insane figures. Escobar Inc. stated that Apple knows its faults and has paid fines for similar cases. Since the lawsuit has been filed, if Apple does not respond in 30 days, Escobar Inc. will win by default.
Please Note: Do not buy anything from Escobar Inc., you will probably get scammed.
Akshit Gupta
Grade XII, Manav Rachna International School, Gurgaon
Akshit is an enthusiastic young man who has a keen interest in global affairs and politics. He believes it’s his duty to contribute to society as a human being and hopes his actions can benefit the world. He has taken part in and even organized multiple debate competitions all over the nation.
