Apple Inc. faces a class action lawsuit in the UK, with a consumer group accusing the company of violating competition laws through its data storage monopoly.
Willkie Farr & Gallagher filed the lawsuit on behalf of Which? Ltd. in London’s Competition Appeal Tribunal. The lawsuit claims that Apple has abused its market dominance by restricting consumer access to alternative data storage options, a move that could cost Apple billions.
The claim focuses on Apple’s pricing strategy; in 2023, the company raised iCloud storage fees for UK users by 20% to 29% across different tiers. Users who exceed the free 5GB limit must pay these increased rates.
This case has arisen within the UK’s opt-out class-action system, increasingly used to challenge dominant global firms. Several claims have targeted tech giants like Apple, accusing them of using their market positions to levy excessive charges, though none of these claims have reached a full trial.
Which? estimates that damages could reach £3 billion ($3.8 billion, approximately Rs. 32,081 crore) if the 40 million British consumers using Apple’s storage solutions participate in the lawsuit. A London judge must approve the class action to define its scope.
In response, Apple said, “Our users are not required to use iCloud, and many rely on a wide range of third-party alternatives for data storage.” The company strongly denies any anti-competitive practices with iCloud and plans to vigorously defend against these allegations.
