Euroconsumer, a European consumer advocacy group, has filed a class action lawsuit against Apple over the so-called “unfair profits” the company is making out of non-Apple music streaming services. The group believes Apple’s App Store policies are why music streaming services are raising their subscription fees.
As Euroconsumer noted on its website, Apple is abusing its market dominance and charging a 30% fee on third-party music streaming services like Spotify, YouTube Music, SoundCloud, Amazon Music, etc. As a result, Spotify, for example, has increased its subscription fees for iOS users from €9.99 to €12.99 per month to cover the additional costs caused by Apple.
Additionally, Euroconsumer says Apple has impeded music platforms' ability to inform users of cheaper plans directly through their websites. The consumer advocacy group accuses Apple of generating approximately €259 million in unfair profits by overcharging European users.
According to Euroconsumer calculations, each iPhone and iPad user in the EU has paid, on average, €3 per month in extra charges since July 2013. Thus, the group has decided to file a class action lawsuit against Apple, covering all users who paid extra for non-Apple music streaming subscriptions via the App Store since 2013. As Euroconsumer stated:
“Euroconsumers is launching a coordinated class action in Belgium, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Every iOS user who overpaid for their music streaming subscription deserves to get their money back. Our goal is to hold Apple accountable and make them return the undue charges paid by consumers.”
It remains to be seen if the Euroconsumer class action lawsuit can force Apple to refund the alleged extra charges. European iPhone and iPad users who believe Apple has overcharged them can join Euroconsumer’s class action lawsuit and try their luck for a refund.
As it turns out, Apple’s disputes with the EU and its consumer advocacy groups are ongoing and far from over. A few weeks ago, the European Consumer Organization (BEUC) accused Apple of not fully adhering to DMA rules by identifying four examples of non-compliance. Additionally, the European Commission has just opened two investigations into iOS interoperability, further fueling these disputes.
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