Which? launches £3 billion action against Apple over competition law breaches
UK consumer association Which? is today launching a landmark £3 billion legal claim against Apple, claiming the tech giant breached competition law, effectively locking millions of consumers into its iCloud service.
Around 40 million Apple customers in the UK who have obtained iCloud services over the last nine years could be entitled to a payout if the claim is successful.
Which? believes taking this action is essential to changing the behaviour of huge companies like Apple that use their market dominance to engage in anti-competitive practices that reduce choice and drive up prices for consumers.
The consumer association’s action, filed with the Competition Appeal Tribunal, claims Apple has breached UK competition law by giving its iCloud storage service preferential treatment, “trapping” customers with Apple devices into using iCloud.
Which? claims it encourages users to sign up to iCloud for storage of photos, videos and other data while simultaneously making it difficult to use alternative providers. It also claims that Apple has overcharged users for these subscriptions. Apple raised the price of iCloud for UK consumers by between 20% and 29% across its storage tiers in 2023.
Which? is seeking damages for all affected Apple customers who have obtained iCloud services since 1st October 2015. It estimates that individual consumers could be owed an average of £70, depending on how long they have been paying for the services during that period.
Which? is urging Apple to resolve this claim without the need for litigation by offering consumers their money back and opening up iOS to allow users a real choice for cloud services.
Says Anabel Hoult, Which? Chief Executive:
“We believe Apple customers are owed nearly £3 billion 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 UK consumers without facing repercussions. Taking this legal action means we can help consumers to get the redress that they are owed, deter similar behaviour in the future and create a better, more competitive market.”
