UK court allows £3bn iCloud lawsuit against Apple

A UK court has granted permission for a class-action lawsuit against Apple, accusing the technology giant of abusing its dominant market position. Consumer group Which? alleges that Apple has effectively trapped millions of British iPhone and iPad users into its iCloud service, charging them inflated prices for storage and providing less free storage than would otherwise be available. The lawsuit, which covers the period from November 8, 2018, to June 8, 2026, claims that Apple's practices have cost UK consumers millions of pounds. Which? is seeking compensation for these overpayments and aims to force Apple to open up competition in the cloud storage market. Apple has strongly denied the accusations, stating that its iCloud practices are not anti-competitive and that customers are not compelled to use its service. The company asserts that it works to make data transfer easy and that many customers utilize third-party alternatives. If the lawsuit is successful, it could result in a payout of up to £3 billion, with individual customers potentially receiving around £70 to £77. Legal experts suggest that such large-scale class actions against major tech firms are becoming more common and are likely to impact their businesses significantly. Which? has urged Apple to resolve the matter without further litigation, proposing that the company refund consumers and enhance market competition. The case is being funded by Litigation Capital Management, with the law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher representing Which?.