The UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal has granted permission for a £3bn ($4bn) collective lawsuit against Apple over its iCloud storage service.
The decision, disclosed by the consumer organisation Which?, allows tens of millions of UK consumers to join a collective legal action against the US-based technology company.
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The Tribunal issued a collective proceedings order in June, enabling Which? to represent UK Apple users who accessed iCloud services between November 2018 and June 2026. This follows the dismissal of Apple’s attempt to block parts of the claim.
Which? originally filed its claim in November 2024, alleging that Apple abused its dominant position in the cloud storage market by restricting competition and limiting users’ ability to switch services.
The consumer group contends that Apple imposed technical restrictions on file storage and integrated iCloud with its iOS devices in a manner that made it difficult for users to move to alternative providers.
According to Which?, design choices and prompts within the Apple system steered users towards iCloud, reducing competition and raising costs for consumers.
Estimates from Which? suggest that up to 39.7 million UK consumers who used iCloud during the specified period could be eligible for compensation, with potential damages of around £77 per person if the claim succeeds.
The case centres on allegations that Apple gave its iCloud service preferential treatment, “trapping” users and leading to alleged overcharging on subscription fees as well as reduced free storage offerings.
Which? chief executive Anabel Hoult said: “Which? wants to make clear that no company, no matter how powerful, can get away with abusing its position.
“The granting of the collective proceedings order (CPO) means we’re one step closer to getting consumers the redress we believe they are owed from Apple and this should send a strong message to any other companies using anti-competitive tactics.”
Consumers who used iCloud services between 8 November 2018 and 8 June 2026 and lived in the UK on 8 June 2026 will be included in the claim unless they opt out. Those living outside the UK on 8 June who used the service during that time may choose to opt in.
Notifications regarding inclusion or exclusion from the class must be submitted to Which? by 8 October via the claim website.
The opt-out collective action regime was introduced by the Consumer Rights Act 2015, and Which? has supported its use to represent large groups of consumers in similar legal claims.
