UK tribunal clears Apple iCloud lawsuit over alleged cloud market abuse

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UK tribunal clears Apple iCloud lawsuit

Highlights

The UK Competition Appeal Tribunal in June granted Which? a collective proceedings order to pursue a lawsuit against Apple for alleged iCloud market abuse.
The claim, filed in November 2024, covers nearly 40 million UK iCloud users and seeks about £3 billion in damages for alleged consumer lock-in and higher prices.
This action intensifies regulatory scrutiny of digital storage competition in the UK, focusing on platform design, default integration, and consumer mobility.

Tribunal ruling and claim scope

As reported by Which?, the Competition Appeal Tribunal granted earlier in June a collective proceedings order that allows the consumer group to represent Apple users, after rejecting an effort by the U.S. technology company to block parts of the case.

Which? filed the claim in November 2024 and argues that Apple abuses a dominant position by trapping users of iPhones and other devices into its iCloud storage service, limiting their ability to move to rival cloud providers. The group says Apple technically restricts how certain files can be stored, ties iCloud to iOS devices and uses prompts and system design to steer users toward its own service, weakening competition and increasing prices.

In a statement, Which? Chief Executive Anabel Hoult says the case is intended to show that no company, regardless of its size, can abuse its market position without challenge.

Consumer and sector impact in the UK

The action is being brought on behalf of nearly 40 million UK iCloud users who used the service between November 2018 and June 2026. Which? estimates total damages at around £3 billion, with possible payouts of up to £77 per person if the claim succeeds.

Apple does not immediately respond to a request for comment in the latest development. The company has previously rejected the allegations, saying customers are not required to use iCloud and that many rely on third-party alternatives, and it has said it will vigorously defend its practices.

The case adds to wider scrutiny of competition in digital storage and mobile ecosystems, where platform design, default settings and technical integration remain central issues for regulators and consumer groups in the UK.

Our earlier article on the Financial Reporting Council’s sanctions against King & King and partner Milankumar Patel detailed how the regulator found serious independence breaches across more than 140 audits linked to Sanjeev Gupta’s GFG Alliance in 2018–2020. We noted that heavy fee dependence on GFG entities was central to the case, resulting in fines, multi-year bans and monitoring requirements that underscored wider concerns about oversight and compliance in UK markets.

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