Apple 'Censors' News That iOS 7 Upgrade Disables Wifi On Some IPhones

Apple is deleting posts in its "support communities" bulletin boards from people who suggest that users return their phones under warranty if their wifi was disabled following the upgrade to Apple's new mobile operating system, iOS 7, according to ZDNet and Lawrence Lessig, the copyright activist.

The problem seems to be small but persistent: For a number of iPhone users, the much-praised iOS 7 upgrade deletes or disables the phone's wifi ability, leaving the function "greyed out."

You can see complaints from users on Twitter here and here and here and here.

Apple has community support forums where users can discuss technical issues and share solutions to glitches. There is one devoted to the iOS 7 wifi issue.

But Lessig - best known as one of the founders of Creative Commons, the free copyright movement - discovered that when users suggest returning their phones to the retailer for a replacement under their warranty, that the posts are deleted by Apple. Lessig questioned the deletion on the same forum, and his post disappeared too. In deleting the post, Apple sent this message to Lessig:

We understand the desire to share experiences in your topic, "Re: Wi-Fi greyed out after update to iOS 7," but because these posts are not allowed on our forums, we have removed it.

That prompted the ZDNet headline, "Apple censors Lawrence Lessig over warranty information; iOS 7 mess grows."

Here's the original post from a European user urging users get new phones under their warranties. (U.S. users may have fewer warranty rights than European ones):

Re: wifi greyed out after update to ios7
created by LouLou71 in Using iPhone - View the full discussion
Before I have another post removed I urge all those affected with wifi issues to exercise your rights as I have done as published on apples vet own website.
http://www.apple.com/uk/legal/statutory-warranty/
There are far too many of us affected for this to be a coincidence or consumer caused problem, I had a 16gb white 4s purchased in July 2013 and wifi was completely greyed out no matter what fixes I was advised to try.
I have been successful in my claim and am now in receipt of a brand new iPhone 5, this was provided to me by the phone shop I signed my O2 contract with last year.
Good luck and persevere

Lessig then wrote:

I had tried to ask him a followup question (does Apple really scrub comments), having thought his assertion was a bit paranoid. As apparently the comment was removed, maybe it wasn't so paranoid ...

We've asked Apple for comment. We'll update this story if we hear back.

One thing users ought to bear in mind, however, is how much bad advice is being posted on the same forum. Here's part of one users' suggestion - do NOT try this at home! - for fixing the iOS 7 wifi "grey out":

I skipped all the drastic steps others seem to have taken such as putting in freezer or the one where I guy heats his wifi chip up to 300degrees which by the way seem to have worked quite well.