SAN FRANCISCO, California (The Adobo Chronicles, San Francisco Bureau) – The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed a class action lawsuit against domestic and international airlines that have banned the use of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smart phones on board their flights.

The ban stems from reports that the phone has exploded while being charged.  Samsung has issued a recall of the phone.

Among the airlines that have banned the phone include the Emirates, Air Asia, Singapore Airlines, Quantas and Virgin Australia.

U.S. and Japanese aviation authorities have urged passengers not to turn on or charge the large-screen phones on aircraft while the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has told passengers not to stow the device in checked baggage.

In the law suit, filed on behalf of millions who own a Galaxy Note 7 phone, the ACLU said that the ban was a clear case of discrimination because owners of Apple iPhones and other smart phones are not covered by the ban.

“The law must be equally applied to everybody,” ACLU said.

Meanwhile, Apple is reporting that orders and sales for its newly-released iPhone 7 has increased 500% since the exploding Samsung phones made headlines.

Is this the beginning of the end of the iOS and Android competition?