The West Virginia Attorney General filed a lawsuit against Apple on February 19, 2026. The complaint alleges the company knowingly allowed its iCloud service to function as a distribution channel for child sexual abuse material. This filing marks the first time a state has sued Apple regarding this specific issue.
The lawsuit claims Apple failed to implement industry-standard detection tools despite controlling the entire hardware and software ecosystem. West Virginia seeks unspecified damages and a court order to compel the implementation of effective detection measures.
Apple shares experienced a modest decline on the day of the announcement. Investors reportedly adopted a wait-and-see approach, resulting in a muted market reaction to the legal development.