Last month, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), Europe’s highest court, gave the green light for a major group legal case against Apple’s App Store in the Netherlands. Two Dutch foundations (Stichting Right to Consumer Justice and Stichting App Stores Claims) have been cleared to pursue hundreds of millions of euros in competition damages on behalf of an estimated 14 million iPhone and iPad users, and app developers.[1]
More broadly this case could prove a great indicator of how far European consumers and developers can go in challenging Big Tech’s control over digital ecosystems.
Who are the representatives?
The proceedings are brought by two Amsterdam-based non-profit organisations, called “Stichtings” (which directly translates to “foundations”):
Both foundations have brought representative actions under the Dutch WAMCA regime (the Act on the Resolution of Mass Damages in Collective Action), which allows organisations to bring claims for damages on behalf of a large, defined group of claimants. [4]
What exactly are they accusing Apple of?
The core of the claim is Apple’s control over the iOS ecosystem and its App Store business model.
The stichtings argue that Apple:
The claimants say these practices have inflated prices, reduced choice, and harmed both users and developers over many years.[5]
They’re asking the Dutch court to order Apple to compensate affected users, with total damages estimated at around €637 million.[6]
Apple strongly disputes the allegations and maintains that its App Store rules are pro-consumer and pro-developer, citing security and privacy benefits. It has also argued that the damages estimates are inflated.
Why did the case go to the EU Court of Justice?
Before assessing whether Apple’s conduct is unlawful, the Dutch court first had to answer a jurisdiction question:
Can a Dutch court even hear these claims, given that Apple’s main App Store entities are based in Ireland and the US?
Apple argued that the allegedly harmful conduct occurred outside the Netherlands, meaning the Dutch courts lacked jurisdiction.[7]
The Amsterdam District Court referred the issue to the CJEU in case C-34/24, Stichting Right to Consumer Justice and Stichting App Stores Claims v Apple.
In December 2025, the CJEU ruled that the Dutch App Store is specifically designed for Netherlands-based users, uses the Dutch language, and offers locally targeted apps. Even though Apple’s relevant companies are located elsewhere, the economic harm from higher prices or unfair terms is felt where the users buy the apps – in this case, in the Netherlands. Therefore, the Amsterdam District Court does have international and territorial jurisdiction to hear the case.
So in plain language: if Apple designs and implements a Dutch-specific App Store, it can’t then claim that Dutch courts have nothing to do with disputes about that store.
How does this case fit within the wider Dutch legal and regulatory environment?
This is not the first time that Dutch regulators and courts have scrutinised the Apple App Store.
In 2021, the Dutch competition authority (ACM) announced a penalty order against Apple for their conduct providing services to dating apps.[8]
The ACM found that Apple had abused its dominance by forcing dating apps to use IAP and banning them from pointing users to alternative payment methods. It imposed €50 million in penalty payments. In June 2025, the Rotterdam District Court upheld the ACM’s decision, confirming that Apple had abused its dominant position.[9]
Although this finding isn’t directly related to the collective actions, there is significant overlap in the arguments made by the claimants, and it reinforces that Dutch authorities and courts are becoming increasingly willing to call out Apple’s App Store practices as anti-competitive.
What’s at stake for consumers and developers?
1. Money
The foundations estimate that Apple owe €637 million in damages for Dutch users alone.
While these figures are contested, any sizeable award would:
The CJEU’s jurisdiction ruling has effects beyond the Netherlands, because it clarifies that consumers don’t have to bring claims for damages where a tech giant is headquartered. Instead, claims can be brought where the harm occurs. This is crucial for cross-border platforms like app stores, online marketplaces, and social media networks.
As a result, we can expect to see further collective actions across the EU targeting similar business models in the coming years.
3. Pressure on Apple’s App Store business model
Apple already faces regulatory enforcement under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and competition law in the EU, as well as multiple lawsuits about App Store commissions and rules in the US, UK, and elsewhere.
If the Dutch foundations ultimately win on the merits, Apple may be pushed to:
What happens next?
Thanks to the CJEU’s ruling, the Amsterdam District Court can now move on to assessing the substance of the claim.
Among other things, this could include identifying: who is affected, what purchases are covered, and over what period; examining Apple’s position in the market and whether its rules were justified; establishing whether developers were overcharged and calculating any resulting damages; and deciding how compensation should be shared between developers and users.
A hearing on the merits is expected in early 2026, although complex collective actions of this kind can take years to fully resolve.[10]
Why this case matters beyond Apple
The case in the Netherlands is a test for digital consumer protection in Europe.
Whether Apple ultimately has to pay out or not, the Stichting Right to Consumer Justice and Stichting App Stores Claims case is a pivotal moment in Europe’s journey to defining how they are going to handle Big Tech’s power.
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[1] Apple faces multimillion-euro Dutch antitrust damages claims after EU's top court ruling | Reuters
[2] Apple Antitrust | Right to Consumer Justice
[4] Navigating the landscape of collective redress: an overview of the Dutch WAMCA - Lexology
[5] Apple faces European class action
[6] Apple faces multimillion-euro Dutch antitrust damages claims after EU's top court ruling | Reuters
[7] stichting-right-to-consumer-justice-and-stichting-app-stores-claims-judgment.pdf[9] Dutch court confirms Apple abused dominant position in dating apps | Reuters
[10] Apple Faces Huge Dutch Antitrust Damages After EU Court Ruling