Rome Court Rules Netflix Price Hikes Unlawful in Italy

A Rome court ruled on April 3 that Netflix unlawfully increased subscription prices for its Italian customers from 2017 to January 2024, ordering the streaming service to reimburse millions of affected subscribers and restore original rates.

The Sixteenth Civil Section of the Rome Court found that Netflix's contract clauses allowing price adjustments without specifying valid reasons violated Italy's Consumer Code, a key provision requiring transparency in such changes. The lawsuit was initiated by the consumer advocacy group Movimento Consumatori, which argued the terms created an unfair imbalance favoring the company. For Premium plan subscribers, the cumulative unauthorized increases from adjustments in 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2024 totaled about 8 euros per month, potentially entitling long-term users who subscribed in 2017 to refunds of around 500 euros. Standard plan customers faced increases totaling 4 euros monthly, qualifying them for approximately 250 euros in reimbursements.

Netflix, which had 1.9 million paying subscribers in Italy in 2019 and grew to 5.4 million by 2025, must now notify current and past customers of their rights. The court mandated that the company...