A judge granted class action status to a lawsuit against Apple over the controversial and allegedly defective MacBook “butterfly” keyboard design, agreeing that owners of any affected model in seven states qualify for the class.
As of 2018, several MacBook owners in seven states have filed lawsuits against Apple, claiming that the company knew that the butterfly switches were defective. In an order (PDF), made public on Friday, Judge Edward J. Davila, of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, agreed to grant class action status to the lawsuit. All customers residing in California, New York, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, Michigan or Washington State who purchased a MacBook 2015-2017, MacBook Pro 2016-2019 or MacBook Air 2018-2019 now qualify for the class .
The butterfly-style keyboard design was controversial from the start. Apple designed it to be thinner and provide a shorter return, which would save space inside the computer’s chassis and make typing faster. Some users hated the sensation, while others loved it. The biggest problem, however, seemed to be not one of preference, but of basic function: the thinner keys proved to be more susceptible to failure when used in the real world, as even small dust particles accumulated around the switches could make them stop working, requiring a complete replacement of the entire keyboard.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit claim that Apple’s shares, as well as internal company documents, show that Apple knew the design was defective. They argue that the company violated consumer protection laws in several states by continuing to sell defective products to consumers.
A 2018 report found that MacBooks needed keyboard-related repairs approximately 40% more often, since Apple released the butterfly-style keyboard. Repairs repairs – keyboards that need an expensive second or third fix – have also increased significantly.
In June 2018, Apple recognized that butterfly-style keys were causing problems and the company launched a keyboard service program specifically to address those problems. The program allowed affected MacBook owners to have their keyboards repaired or replaced at no cost for the next four years, and some customers who had previously paid for these repairs became eligible to claim a refund.
In mid-2018, Apple sold only MacBook models with butterfly keyboards. In 2019, however, Apple was already revising the keyboards of the MacBook Pro line, and in 2020, the company completely eliminated the butterfly keyboard from its entire line of laptops.