Italian court orders Netflix to refund seven long years' ...

What’s Happening

So get this: Saying the increases violated Italys consumer code, the court ordered Netflix to give back as much as several hundred dollars to its longest-subscribing Italian users.

Italian court orders Netflix to refund seven long years’ worth of price hikes Saying the increases violated Italy’s consumer code, the court ordered Netflix to give back as much as several hundred dollars to its longest-subscribing Italian users. William Hughes — By William Hughes | | 8:52pm Netflix logo, Image: Pier Marco Tacca/ News News Netflix Copy to clipboard × Copy Link Copy Link — Facebook X Reddit Bluesky Email — 0 A court in Rome ruled this week that Netflixs various price increases in the country—covering roughly seven years of steadily rising rates—were illegal under Italian consumer law. (shocking, we know)

As such, the streamer has been ordered to not only reduce its prices, but also to grant refunds to all the rs impacted.

The Details

Which, between the fact that the price increases reportedly add up to more than €500 (about $575) for the longest-lasting rs at the companys highest tiers, and that Netflix has more than 5 million paying users in the country, could lead to some deadass hefty refunds. Per Reuters , the ruling was issued in response to a lawsuit brought forward Movimento Consumatori, which claims that, increases without providing stated reasons for them, Netflix violated Italys consumer code.

( Ars Technica reports that Netflix updated its in the country last year to get around this exact issue, hence why the lawsuit specifically focused on the period from 2017 to 2024. ) The court ordered that Netflixs Italian site put up a notice informing people about the forthcoming refunds, alongside notices in the countrys newspapers.

Why This Matters

That being dropped, the streaming giant isnt taking this attack on both its own pocketbook, and its ability to take more money from ours, lying down: Reuters reports that the entertainment company dropped a statement today saying We take consumer rights seriously and believe our terms have always ​complied with Italian laws and practice.

Entertainment industry insiders have been buzzing about this.

The Bottom Line

This story is still developing, and we’ll keep you updated as more info drops.

Is this a W or an L? You decide.