Apple to pay $25 million to end Family Sharing lawsuit
Apple has agreed to payout $25 million to end an ongoing lawsuit that alleges that Apple misrepresented how subscriptions to third-party apps functioned with the Family Sharing feature, which allows up to six family members to share purchases from the App Store, iTunes Store, and Apple Books without sharing accounts.
Apple maintains its innocence, asserting it has not engaged in any misleading actions. However, seeking to avoid a jury trial, the company has opted to settle by providing $25 million in compensation to eligible U.S. customers. Those affected can claim $30 each as part of this resolution, with notifications being sent via email this week to inform customers about the settlement.
Family Sharing is designed to enable the sharing of apps, music, movies, TV shows, books, and an iCloud storage plan among family members. Additionally, Family Sharing includes features like shared photo albums, location sharing, parental controls, and the ability to set up Apple IDs for children under 13 years old with parental consent.
The class action lawsuit alleges that Apple misrepresented the ability to use its Family Sharing feature to share subscriptions to apps.
To be eligible to claim part of the settlement, you must have been enrolled in a Family Sharing group with at least one other person between June 21, 2015 and January 30, 2019, were a U.S. resident during that time, and purchased a subscription to an app (other than one published by Apple) through the App Store during that time.