Netflix Price Hikes Deemed Illegal by Italian Court
Rome Court Rules Netflix Price Hikes in Italy Are Illegal
Recently, a Rome court made a significant ruling against streaming giant Netflix, stating that the price hikes imposed by the company in Italy were illegal. This decision follows a complaint by a consumer advocacy group, which argued that Netflix had violated local regulations by increasing its prices for services between 2017 and 2024, and insisted that customers should be entitled to a refund.
The ruling in Rome coincided with Netflix’s announcement on March 26 that it would be raising prices for its subscription plans in the United States for the second time in just over a year.
Netflix has expressed its intention to appeal the court’s decision, emphasizing that the ruling does not have any immediate impact on its operations in Italy.
The consumer advocacy group, Movimento Consumatori, welcomed the court’s decision, stating that the price increases implemented by Netflix in Italy over the specified period were in violation of the country’s national consumer code. According to the code, companies are not allowed to unilaterally change prices without providing a valid reason in advance. This regulation aims to ensure that price changes are fair and in accordance with consumer protection laws in Italy.
As a result of the ruling, subscribers to Netflix in Italy are now entitled to a reduction in their current subscription fees and are eligible for a refund of any overpaid subscription costs from previous years.
The court has instructed Netflix Italia to publish the ruling on its website and in prominent newspapers across the country, informing consumers that their existing contractual terms are void and that they have the right to claim a refund.
Lawyers representing consumers in the case have calculated that Premium Plan subscribers who have been continuously paying for Netflix since 2017 could be refunded approximately €500 ($577), while Standard Plan subscribers may be due around €250 ($288) in refunds.
Netflix has been given a 90-day deadline to comply with the court’s ruling, after which a penalty of €700 ($800) will be imposed for each day of delay. However, the company’s appeal is likely to delay or prevent the enforcement of this penalty.
This ruling in Rome could set a precedent in Europe, where similar legal challenges against Netflix’s price increases have been made in countries like Germany, the Netherlands, and Poland, with varying outcomes.
While a Netflix customer in Germany did win a case against the company’s price hikes in 2025, the implications of that ruling have yet to be seen on a broader scale.
Netflix has stated that it prioritizes its members and takes consumer rights seriously, maintaining that its terms and practices have always been in compliance with Italian law.
According to data from Italy’s media watchdog, Netflix had over 8 million unique users in Italy in 2024, with subscriber numbers reaching 5.4 million in 2025.
