A court in Rome has determined that Netflix’s subscription fee increases in Italy during 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2024 violated national consumer protection regulations. The ruling requires the streaming service to provide refunds to impacted users, with amounts reaching as high as 500 euros, or approximately $576, based on individual subscription plans.
Italian consumer advocacy organization Movimento Consumatori initiated the legal action, arguing that the price adjustments breached the country’s Consumer Code. This legislation prohibits businesses from unilaterally altering contract terms or service characteristics without a pre-specified, legitimate reason outlined in the agreement itself.
The court’s decision, issued on April 1, concluded that Netflix’s contracts failed to adequately explain in advance why prices or other conditions might change in the future. As a result, the price hikes were deemed imposed without valid justifications, rendering the new rates invalid and necessitating refunds for affected subscribers.
This judgment stands despite Netflix reportedly providing customers with a 30-day advance notice of the higher fees and offering the option to cancel subscriptions to avoid the increased costs.
In a joint statement from Movimento Consumatori, assisting attorneys Paolo Fiorio and Corrado Pinna detailed the financial impact of the unlawful increases. For the premium plan, the cumulative monthly hike from 2017 to 2024 totals 8 euros, while the standard plan saw a 4-euro monthly increase over the same period.
A premium subscriber who has maintained continuous payment from 2017 to the present is eligible for a refund of around 500 euros. Standard plan customers can receive approximately 250 euros. The basic plan, which experienced a 2-euro increase in October 2024, is also affected by the ruling.
The court has given Netflix 90 days to notify millions of current and former customers about their refund rights through email, postal mail, its website, and Italian newspapers. Failure to comply will result in a daily penalty of 700 euros.
According to data from AGCOM, Italy’s communications authority, Netflix had 8.3 million unique users in the first quarter of 2025. Movimento Consumatori estimates that the service had approximately 5.4 million customers in October of that year.
