Apple Settles Class-Action Lawsuit For $25 Mn Over Family Sharing Feature

Tech giant Apple has agreed to a USD 25 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit filed in 2019, alleging misleading representations regarding its Family Sharing feature. The lawsuit claimed that Apple misrepresented the functionality of Family Sharing in relation to app subscriptions.

According to court documents, the lawsuit argued that Apple, despite denying any wrongdoing, had promoted Family Sharing on subscription-based apps that, in reality, did not support the feature. The court noted that the majority of these apps, a growing segment within Apple's ecosystem, could not be shared among designated family members as implied.

"The vast majority of subscription-based apps, which constitute a significant portion of Apple's App Store offerings, cannot be shared with designated family members," the court document stated. It further emphasised that users, upon downloading these apps and setting up subscriptions, later discovered the lack of Family Sharing support, despite landing pages' claims to the contrary until 30 January 2019.

The lawsuit contended that Apple was aware of this limitation but still advertised Family Sharing on the apps, leading millions of consumers to download subscription-based apps under the impression that they could be shared within the family. The revelation of the feature's absence only occurred after users had made payments.

In response to the settlement, Apple maintained its stance, denying any misleading misrepresentations and refuting all allegations of wrongdoing.