Apple faces class action over MacBook keyboard

Apple is facing a class action suit led by two customers in California over an alleged “defect” that causes the keys on newer MacBook devices to stick and ultimately fail.

The lawsuit, first reported by AppleInsider, alleges that Apple’s ‘Butterfly’ keyboard announced three years ago is “prone to fail” and that “thousands of consumers have experienced this defect”.

“Apple’s butterfly keyboard and MacBook are produced and assembled in such a way that when minimal amounts of dust or debris accumulate under or around a key, keystrokes fail to register,” the lawsuit states.

“The keyboard defect compromises the MacBook’s core functionality.

“As a result of the defect, consumers who purchased a MacBook face a constant threat of non-responsive keys and accompanying keyboard failure.”

The lawsuit alleges that Apple knew of the defect either before or at the time it started selling new machines equipped with it in 2015.

It also argues that Apple is not adequately fixing the problem, instead advising “MacBook owners to try self-help remedies that it knows will not result in a permanent repair”.

“When Apple does agree to attempt a warranty repair, the repair is only temporary - a purportedly repaired MacBook fails again from the same keyboard problems,” the lawsuit alleges.

Apple officially advises users with the affected MacBook models to blast their keyboards with compressed air.

Customer complaints about the keyboard can be found in long threads on Reddit and ycombinator.

A current change.org petition is calling for Apple to “recall every MacBook Pro released since Late 2016, and replace the keyboards on all of them with new, redesigned keyboards that just work.” It has amassed some 20,000 signatures so far.