James Paul 
It is a call that has only reacted to react. Mid-February, the CLCV (consumption, housing and living environment) association) asked To iPhone owners to contact her if they are customers of a streaming platform, such as Spotify, Deezer, Amazon Music, or YouTube Music. Here is everything you need to know about this promising initiative that could lead to a group action.
Towards a collective action?
As noted The informedit is indeed possible that these users have paid too much for their subscription. The CLCV could indeed, according to our colleagues, launch an action which would allow it to request several million euros from Apple in France.
The association would be based on the condemnation of the brand to the apple by the European Commission in 2024 for abuse of dominant position. In this case, the tech giant has notably been accused of having prevented competing services for music streaming from informing their customers that they could pay less for their subscription outside the application (for example on the website of the platform in question). In-app subscriptions are indeed applying a 30 %commission, which adds the addition.
While the damage extended over almost ten years, Apple received a fine of 1.8 billion euros. And precisely, questioned by our colleagues, François Carlier, general delegate of the CLCV, confirms: “Our action aims to claim compensation for the damage to consumers”. According to him, there are at least 100,000 French people who would be affected by this overcharging.
France would not be the first country where the American firm is worried about it. Similar actions were thus initiated in Belgium, Italy, and in Spain, recalls The informed. Among our Iberian neighbors, the association of OCU consumer estimates the additional cost between 1, 5 and 3 euros for each month of subscription for the people concerned. Consequently, the addition would be an average of 109 euros for a Spotify subscriber.
Apple challenges the EU decision
A collective approach could however take years, specify our colleagues. To hope to get success, customers are invited to keep evidence preciously, such as payment supporting documents and contracts.
For the time being, Apple has not wanted to comment on this subject. The tech giant, however, appealed the decision of the European Commission. She believes that this is an inflicted condemnation “Despite the failure of the Commission to update credible evidence of damage caused to consumers”. The apple brand also denounces the activism of its Spotify rival, which never lacks an opportunity to attack it.
