Apple faces class action lawsuit seeking $6 billion in damages, citing iCloud monopoly
Which? v Apple: iCloud storage consumer case
https://www.cloudclaim.co.uk/
Apple faces UK 'iCloud monopoly' compensation claim worth $3.8 billion | TechCrunch
https://techcrunch.com/2024/11/13/apple-faces-uk-icloud-monopoly-compensation-claim-worth-3-8-billion/
Which? is suing Apple, alleging that 'millions of UK Apple device users may have been overpaying for iCloud since 2015.' Which? claims that Apple has violated UK competition law, and estimates that if it wins, it could receive damages of about 70 pounds (about 14,000 yen) per Apple device user.
Which? claims that Apple abused its dominant position by denying iPhone and iPad users a choice of cloud storage providers. By directing users to its own cloud service, iCloud, Which? pointed out that Apple users were forced to use iCloud because it was disproportionately expensive compared to competing services.
Specifically, Which? alleges that Apple has encouraged users of its devices to sign up for iCloud to store photos and other data, while making it difficult for users to use third-party cloud services by not allowing them to store data or back up their devices using competing cloud services.
Which? has filed suit in the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal, arguing that 'Because iOS is a monopoly, Apple has a duty to control the OS and to ensure that it does not use its dominance to exert an unfair advantage in markets such as cloud storage. Yet that is exactly what has happened with iCloud.'
Which? also argues that a lack of competition has led Apple to overcharge UK consumers for iCloud subscription fees, pointing out that 'Apple has increased iCloud subscription fees for UK consumers by 20-29% overall in 2023.'
Which? claims that all UK users who have used an iOS device or iCloud since October 2015 are eligible for compensation.
Apple is facing a class action lawsuit alleging that the 5GB of free iCloud storage available in the US in March 2024 is too little.
Apple faces class action lawsuit over iCloud's 'free 5GB' storage limit - GIGAZINE
In response to the UK class action lawsuit, Apple spokesman Tom Parker said, 'Apple believes in giving customers choice and works to make it as easy as possible for our users to transfer data, whether it's using iCloud or our other services. We deny any suggestion that our iCloud practices are anti-competitive, and we will vigorously defend against the legal claims.'
Apple also claims that iCloud fees are comparable to competing services, and that it offers users alternative cloud services, but in fact, about half of its users don't use iCloud because they don't need the additional storage or don't want to pay for the service.
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