Consumer group sues Apple for $3.8b over iCloud monopoly

Independent U.K. consumer rights association Which? has filed a massive 3 billion British pound, or nearly $3.8 billion, legal claim against Apple, stating it has breached competition law and locked its customers into its expensive iCloud cloud storage service. It says if the claim is successful, 40 million Apple device owners in the U.K could be entitled to money back.

If you haven’t heard of Which? before, it’s made up of two different companies: the Consumers Association, a charity campaigning for the protection of consumers, understanding of consumer issues, and ensuring businesses meet the law. The second company is Which? Limited, a website producing content and services around products, helping people choose what’s best for them.

Which? Chief Executive Anabel Hoult explained more about the lawsuit:

“We believe Apple customers are owed nearly 3 billion British pounds as a result of the tech giant forcing its iCloud services on customers and cutting off competition from rival services. By bringing this claim, Which? is showing big corporations like Apple that they cannot rip off U.K. consumers without facing repercussions. Taking this legal action means we can help consumers to get the redress that they are owed, deter similar behavior in the future and create a better, more competitive market.”

The group states Apple’s iOS software is a monopoly, and intentionally makes it difficult for its customers to use services other than iCloud to store photos, videos, and other files. Once device owners have started using iCloud, it’s similarly difficult to transfer data to another service. Which? Also claims Apple overcharges for its iCloud subscriptions, once the included 5GB limit has been passed. It says prices have continued to rise for iCloud, increasing by between 20% and 29% across the available tiers in 2023 alone.

It’s seeking damages from Apple for consumers who signed up for iCloud since the beginning of October 2015, and the individual payout would average out to be 70 British pounds per person, or about $88. Which? is asking Apple to offer consumers their money back, and make it easier to change cloud service providers in iOS to avoid litigation.

This isn’t the first time Apple has found itself in hot water over iOS and claims of it being a monopoly. In March 2024 the Department of Justice (DOJ) sued Apple over creating a monopoly with its iOS software, and a few months later the European Union fined Apple over claims the App Store hampered competition.

Which? has set up a website here for iCloud subscribers in the U.K. to check if they may be eligible to claim, should the lawsuit be successful.