Netflix Faces Setback in Italy: Illegitimate Increases and Risk of Refunds Up to 500 Euros for Users
The Court of Rome has accepted the injunction action brought by the Consumer Movement against Netflix Italy, marking a crucial moment for the streaming market in our country. The core of the ruling concerns the declared abusive nature and consequent nullity of the contractual clauses that allowed the U.S. giant to unilaterally change the subscription prices and other operational conditions between 2017 and January 2024.
According to the judges, these clauses openly violate the Consumer Code as they allowed tariff changes without indicating a justified reason in the original contract. This structural deficiency invalidates the increases applied in the years 2017, 2019, 2021, and the last tier of 2024. The decision has a massive impact considering the expansion of the user base in Italy: according to legal data, Netflix increased from 1.9 million customers in 2019 to about 5.4 million reported in October 2025. The reach of the ruling extends the right of protection to those who canceled their subscription during the affected period and not only to active users, obligating the company to transparent and widespread communication.
Netflix Faces Setback in Italy: Abusive Clauses and Invalidity of Increases
The quantification of the amounts due to users has been precisely defined by lawyers Paolo Fiorio and Corrado Pinna. For long-term subscribers who have kept the service continuously since 2017, the figures are significant. Those who subscribed to the Premium plan now face accumulated illegitimate increases of 8 euros per month, translating into a right to a refund of about 500 euros. For the Standard plan, the total increase amounts to 4 euros monthly, with a refund estimated at about 250 euros.
Even the Basic plan is involved in the ruling, having suffered a 2 euro increase at the end of 2024 deemed without legal basis. In addition to the return of the improperly paid sums, the Court has determined that each subscriber has the right to possible compensation for damages. Netflix is now required to publish the ruling's device both on its official website and in national newspapers, ensuring that every consumer is informed of the nullity of the clauses and the procedure to claim what is due.
The immediate effect of the Court's decision in Rome is the obligation for Netflix to reduce current subscription prices back to pre-increase levels. Specifically, a Premium user who currently pays 19.99 euros monthly has the right to see the fee decrease to 11.99 euros for the same service. Likewise, the Standard fee must be readjusted from 13.99 euros to 9.99 euros. This reduction aims to eliminate the effects of the clauses declared null by the judiciary.
Alessandro Mostaccio, president of the Consumer Movement, has clarified that the association is ready to intensify the legal battle if the company does not immediately comply with the ruling's device. If Netflix does not proceed independently with refunds and price updates, a class action will be initiated to automate the recovery of amounts for all affected subscribers. Only contracts signed ex novo after January 2024 are excluded from the provision, marking the limit of conduct sanctioned by the Roman court.
Update - Netflix's Reply: Ready to Appeal
The response from the Los Gatos company was swift. Through an official statement, the streaming giant confirmed its intention to appeal the ruling of the Court of Rome, defending the legitimacy of its actions and the transparency of the tariff variations applied over the years. According to the company, the contested clauses were drafted in full compliance with the practices of the Italian market. Here is the statement: "We will appeal the decision. At Netflix, our subscribers come first. We take consumer rights very seriously and believe that our terms have always been in line with Italian regulations and practices."