Apple has reached a $25 million settlement in a class action lawsuit concerning its Family Sharing feature. This feature enables users to share access to purchased apps, music, movies, TV shows, and books with up to five family members.
The lawsuit, initiated in 2019, alleged that Apple misrepresented the capability of its Family Sharing feature, specifically regarding the sharing of app subscriptions.
The lawsuit documents state that Apple denies any misleading representations and rejects all allegations of wrongdoing. The settlement emphasizes that Apple while agreeing, does not admit fault, liability, or wrongdoing.
According to court documents, Apple promoted Family Sharing as an option on apps that did not support this feature. The lawsuit highlighted that the majority of subscription-based apps, a growing segment in the Apple ecosystem, could not be shared with designated family members.
Despite this limitation, these apps misleadingly claimed Family Sharing support on their landing pages until January 30, 2019.
The lawsuit contends that Apple was aware of the incompatibility but continued to advertise Family Sharing on subscription-based apps. As a result, millions of consumers downloaded these apps under the assumption that they were shareable within Family Sharing, only to discover after payment that such sharing was not possible.
To be eligible for a payment, U.S. residents enrolled in a Family Sharing group with at least one other person between June 21, 2015, and January 30, 2019, and who purchased an app subscription during that period may file a claim.
Each qualifying class member can receive $30, though the actual amount may vary depending on the number of claims. Payments will not exceed $50 per class member, and $10 million of the settlement will cover attorney fees.
Eligible class members have until March 1, 2024, to file a claim, and a final approval hearing is scheduled for April 2, 2024.