Another day, another lawsuit. The financial campaigner James Daley has launched a £1.5 billion (approximately US$1.76 billion) class action lawsuit against Apple over its mobile phone wallet, reports The Guardian.
He claims the tech giant blocked competition and charged hidden fees that ultimately harmed 50 million UK consumers.
The lawsuit says Apple Pay, which has been the only contactless payment service available for iPhone users in Britain over the past decade, amounts to anti-competitive behavior. Daley claims this allows Apple to charge hidden fees, “ultimately pushing up costs for banks that passed charges on to consumers, regardless of whether they owned an iPhone,” according to The Guardian. The case has been filed with the Competition Appeal Tribunal, which will now decide whether the class action case can move forward.
Apple said in a statement to The Guardian that the lawsuit was “misguided and should be dismissed”, adding: “Apple Pay is a seamless and secure way for users to make contactless payments, and one of many payment options available to consumers. Apple does not charge fees to consumers or merchants for using Apple Pay, and banks see meaningful benefits from offering Apple Pay to their customers – most notably fraud reduction.”
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