Lidl wins lawsuit over Plus app

According to German consumer organizations, Lidl was not allowed to promote its smartphone app as “free” because users were paying with their personal data. However, the court dismissed that complaint.

Test case

Last spring, the Federation of German Consumer Associations(Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband) had taken Lidl to court because the discounter allegedly did not sufficiently inform customers who register in the app that for the discounts and coupons they receive, they are paying with their personal data. Therefore, Lidl should not promote the Plus app as “free,” they found: the retailer should state the “total price.”