The consumer association CLCV has launched a class-action lawsuit against Apple, accusing it of imposing more expensive subscriptions to Spotify, Deezer, and other music streaming services on iPhone and iPad users. According to the organization, this price difference, which went unnoticed by many customers, may have affected at least 100,000 French consumers.
A surcharge linked to Apple's payment system
In a lawsuit filed on November 7th with the Paris Judicial Court, the CLCV (National Consumer Association) asserts that subscriptions purchased through the App Store were systematically displayed with an additional charge of €1 to €3 per month, a direct consequence of the commission Apple levies on internal payments. The association explains in its press release that this mechanism resulted in "economic harm" for users, some of whom paid more for several years—until 2016 for Spotify and until 2024 for Deezer, according to its analysis.
The CLCV also criticizes the American group for preventing these platforms from informing their subscribers about the existence of cheaper offers available directly on their websites, a lock-in already denounced by several players in the sector.
In response to these accusations, Apple considers the proceedings "baseless." A spokesperson, quoted by AFP, reiterated that "the European digital music market is thriving and competitive, and consumers have more choices than ever before." The company also emphasized, as it had already stated on its blog in March 2024, that Spotify no longer charges a commission on subscriptions sold through its website.
An action supported by a 2024 European decision
To support its approach, the CLCV relies on a key decision by the European Commission. In March 2024, Brussels fined Apple €1,8 billion for restricting the ability of music streaming apps to freely advertise deals outside the Apple ecosystem, following an investigation opened in 2020 after a complaint from Spotify, as reported by AFP at the time.
The European institution criticized Apple for implementing rules that prevented the promotion of discounted subscriptions available outside the App Store. The Californian giant is still challenging this sanction before the Court of Justice of the European Union.
With this new class action lawsuit, the CLCV hopes to obtain compensation for users who paid for their music subscriptions via the App Store between 2011 and 2025. If the court rules in its favor, Apple could be forced to reimburse several years of overbilling to a large portion of its French customers.
