UK tribunal clears £3bn Apple iCloud lawsuit for trial

A landmark 3 billion pound collective lawsuit against Apple has been cleared to proceed toward trial, potentially affecting tens of millions of UK customers. The Competition Appeal Tribunal granted a collective proceedings order, allowing consumer group Which? to represent an estimated 40 million people who used iCloud between November 8, 2018, and June 8, 2026.

The case alleges that Apple abused its market dominance by giving its iCloud storage service an unfair advantage on iPhones and iPads, effectively trapping users into its ecosystem and charging higher prices. Which? claims Apple limited the functionality of rival cloud services while steering customers toward purchasing additional iCloud storage. The consumer group argues this conduct, dating back to 2015, stifled competition and allowed Apple to overcharge users for monthly subscriptions.

Apple provides 5GB of free iCloud storage, with paid plans in the UK ranging from 50GB for 99p per month to 12TB for 54.99 per month. Which? contends that while alternative services exist, Apple restricts their full integration with iOS devices for data backup, making iCloud the default and most seamless option. Apple has rejected the...