Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) may soon confront a new wave of collective legal actions across the European Union after the bloc’s highest court confirmed that consumers can pursue group claims against the company in the Netherlands, regardless of where they reside.
In a ruling issued Tuesday, the EU Court of Justice said that an Amsterdam court is entitled to hear a case brought by the foundations Stichting Right to Consumer Justice and Stichting App Stores, which allege that Apple’s App Store fee structure — with commissions reaching up to 30% — breaches EU competition rules.
The court stated that Dutch judges are authorized to review a representative action targeting Apple’s alleged anticompetitive practices related to its App Store offerings in the Netherlands.
The decision could open the door to broader, coordinated compensation claims against Apple’s App Store policies across the EU, increasing legal risks for the tech giant as it faces heightened regulatory scrutiny in the region.
Leave a Reply