Eskariam brings €198m class actions in Portugal against Apple and Google

The legal services firm specialising in class actions and litigation, Eskariam, has started its internationalisation strategy by participating in two opt-out class actions against Apple and Google in defence of Portuguese consumers.

With the aim of bringing about the necessary changes in the conduct of large companies, Eskariam is collaborating in both class actions with Hausfeld, a law firm focused on competition disputes and class actions, and with which it is already working on the Milk Cartel case in Spain.

Associate professor of Private Law at the Faculty of Law of Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Fabrizio Esposito, is the class representative and sole promoter of these two class actions on behalf of around 6.5 million Portuguese users of iOS and Android devices (mobiles and tablets), alleging that Apple and Google have systematically infringed competition law and have overpriced and unfairly charged millions of users in Portugal for the purchase of apps and other purchases from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Professor Esposito is being legally assisted by the Portuguese firms J+Legal in the action against Apple; and by Cardigos in the case against Google, in addition to the expertise and resources resulting from the collaboration formed by Eskariam and Hausfeld.

Through these class actions in Portugal, both companies are requested to reduce their controversial 30% commission on App Store and Google Play Store purchases, as it violates European and Portuguese competition laws. According to the lawsuits, both tech giants are abusing their dominant position in the app market at the expense of their users. These claims are quantified at an estimated value of more than €198 million.

David Fernández (pictured), CEO of Eskariam, explains that “in the market for class actions and class actions in Europe there is still a lot to do. More and more jurisdictions are implementing legal tools to be more efficient and enhance the defence of consumer rights. However, in the case of the Iberian Peninsula, and specifically in Spain, the market needs many improvements, and we are currently awaiting the transposition of the European Directive on class actions. Always on the side of those affected, Eskariam is becoming a benchmark in the Spanish legal market as far as class actions are concerned. Our entry into Portugal forms part of our business strategy by participating in these cases against corporations that abuse their power throughout Europe.”