Apple faces class action in France from music streaming users

In front of an Apple Store in Paris, March 18, 2024. JULIE SEBADELHA / AFP

Have paying subscribers to Spotify, Deezer, YouTube Music, Tidal and Qobuz been prejudiced by Apple's practices? The French consumer advocacy group Consommation, Logement et Cadre de Vie (CLCV) thinks so, and on November 7, it filed a class action lawsuit against the iPhone maker before the Paris judicial court, an infrequent procedure in France.

"The aim of this action is to secure compensation for all affected consumers," the group said. "Subscriptions purchased via an iPhone or iPad were €1 to €3 more expensive per month than those bought directly on the streaming services' websites." CLCV is pointing to Apple's 30% fees (reduced to 15% from the second year) applied to subscriptions purchased through its App Store.

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