Apple has agreed to pay $25 million to settle a lawsuit filed in 2019 in the Superior Court of California. The lawsuit accused Apple of misleading users about the ability to share app subscriptions with their Family Sharing groups. Although Apple denies any wrongdoing, the settlement aims to avoid a potentially costly legal battle. The lawsuit alleged that Apple falsely promised users the ability to share any app subscription with family members, leading users to purchase subscriptions they couldn’t share, resulting in financial losses.
To be eligible for a share of the settlement, users must have initiated the purchase of a non-Apple app subscription through the Apple App Store between June 21, 2015, and January 30, 2019, while enrolled in a Family Sharing group with at least one other member. Eligible individuals must have been residents of the United States at the time of purchase. The potential payout, depending on the number of claims, could be up to $50 per person.
To qualify, users need to meet specific criteria: being part of a Family Sharing group with at least one other person between June 2015 and January 2019, residing in the US during that time, and purchasing a non-Apple app subscription through the App Store within the specified period. The deadline for eligible users to file a claim is March 1, 2024, accessible through the Family Sharing Plan lawsuit website. A final hearing is scheduled for April 2, 2024, to conclude the settlement. If users meet the criteria, filing a claim before the deadline could result in compensation for app subscriptions that couldn’t be shared with their family.
