Apple agrees to pay $25 million to settle a class-action lawsuit over Family Sharing

In a legal agreement announced today by the technology giant Manzana It has pledged to pay $25 million to end a class-action lawsuit related to the company’s Family Sharing feature.

The case, known as Walter Peters v. Apple Inc, was filed before the California Supreme Court in 2019 and centered around the option developers had to disable the ability to share subscriptions and purchases with other family members.

Family Sharing provides the ability to share subscriptions to Apple services between you and up to five additional family members. These services include Apple Music, Apple TV Plus, Apple News Plus, Apple Card, and Apple Arcade. Additionally, the feature allows subscriptions to be shared in third-party apps, as long as the app developer allows it. It is precisely on this last aspect that the lawsuit, which alleges that Apple distorted the ability to share subscriptions in non-Apple-branded apps, disagrees.

Users found this feature confusing and viewed it as a distortion of the terms and conditions. Despite denying any wrongdoing, Apple chose to settle to avoid the additional costs associated with continued litigation.

The agreed upon $25 million will be distributed to all parties involved in the lawsuit, including attorneys’ fees.

The agreement will cover users who participated in “Family Sharing” between June 2015 and January 2019 in the United States. These users will receive compensation ranging from $10 to $50, depending on different criteria.

Eligible customers will receive an email notification with additional details about the agreement. If you do not receive this notice and are considered eligible, you have the option of registering on the class website by printing and mailing a letter corresponding model. The deadline to file a claim is March 1, 2024, and a hearing is scheduled for April 2, 2024 to finalize the agreement.