Apple continues to be sued in the UK, paying $2.1 billion in compensation to 20 million users

The plaintiff stated in a press release on Tuesday (May 11) that Apple’s standard 30% fee is ‘excessive’ and ‘illegal’.
After a series of unresolved lawsuits, Apple continues to face a class-action lawsuit in London, England this week, alleging that it charges excessively for App Store purchases to nearly 20 million UK users. . For Apple, this is another headache legal dispute on a global scale.

Plaintiffs stated in a press release on Tuesday (May 11) that Apple’s standard 30% fee is “excessive” and “illegal.” The case was formally brought to the Court of Antitrust Appeal in London, demanding that Apple compensate for the outrageous fees it has charged UK iPhone and iPad users over the years. The plaintiffs allege that as of October 2015, any UK iPhone and iPad user who has purchased a paid app, paid subscription, or made other in-app purchases is entitled to compensation. . They estimate that Apple could face more than $2.1 billion in damages. Apple is constantly facing lawsuits. The lead plaintiff in this case, Rachael Kent, a professor at King’s College London, said: “Apple has abused its dominant position in the app store market, thereby harming UK consumers. “. Through studying consumer interaction and dependence on digital platforms, Rachael Kent confirms it. In response, Apple called the lawsuit “baseless” and said in an email: “We believe there is no basis for a lawsuit, but the court welcomes the opportunity to discuss it with us and our unwavering commitment to consumers. This is the same as the UK App Store creating one. The new economy brings a lot of benefits.” “The standard of commission that the App Store charges is very close to that of all other digital platforms. In fact, 84% of the apps in the App Store are free and these developers won’t. pay Apple any fees. For some developers who pay Apple commissions for selling digital products or services, they qualify for the low 15% interest rate.” , Apple continues to share. However, the plaintiff alleges that Apple intentionally excluded competition and forced ordinary users to use its own payment processing system, thereby illegally bringing high profits to the company. . Previously, the famous game developer Epic Games in the US also alleged that Apple’s platform operates exclusively, fraudulently, affecting the interests of developers and consumers. Meanwhile, another lawsuit in the UK also targets Apple, focusing on the damage Apple causes to consumers, not developers. Earlier this year, Apple reduced the App Store fee for some developers from 30% to 15%. Developers with an annual income of less than $1 million and developers new to the platform can enjoy lower fees. In recent times, Apple has also faced strong opposition from global regulators and developers. They accuse Apple of being only interested in its own interests, offering unfair fees and coercive policies. This situation is threatening Apple’s billions of dollars in revenue. Last month, the European Commission issued a statement opposing Apple, detailing how Apple abused its “gatekeeper” rights over music streaming apps in the App Store.