Apple has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit by paying $25 million over its Family Sharing feature, allowing users and their family members to share purchased apps, music, movies, TV shows, and books. The lawsuit, initiated in 2019, claimed that Apple falsely represented the capability of using Family Sharing to share app subscriptions.
As reported by MacRumors, Apple, while denying any misleading representations or wrongdoing, agreed to the settlement, citing the burden and expense of continued legal defense. The company did not respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment.
Court documents from the lawsuit assert that Apple promoted Family Sharing on apps that did not actually support the feature. Many subscription-based apps, allegedly incompatible with Family Sharing, featured statements supporting it on their landing pages until January 30, 2019.
The lawsuit contends that Apple knowingly advertised Family Sharing on apps incompatible with the feature. Consequently, millions of consumers downloaded subscription-based apps, thinking they were eligible for Family Sharing, only to discover after payment that this was not the case.
U.S. residents who participated in a Family Sharing group between June 21, 2015, and January 30, 2019, and purchased an app subscription during that period may qualify for compensation. Eligible members will receive an email, and each claimant can potentially receive $30, with the total payment subject to variation based on the number of claims. However, individual payments will not exceed $50, and $10 million from the settlement will cover attorney fees.
Class members have until March 1, 2024, to file a claim, and a final approval hearing is scheduled for April 2, 2024.
