UK Consumer Protection Group ‘Which?’ Files £3 Billion Claims Against Apple’s iCloud

• UK consumer protection group ‘Which?’ has filed a £3 billion claim against Apple, alleging that Apple customers were charged excessive fees for iCloud storage and that the company violated competition law.

• Apple’s iCloud is a storage service that allows users to back up device-based data and access stored media from other devices or the web.

• The group believes Apple forced its iPhone and iPad customers to use iCloud and did not provide fair ways to explore rival cloud services.

• Apple’s preference for its own cloud storage service on devices like iPhones and iPads has led to customers being locked into using iCloud, finding it harder to switch to other services, and being caught in an environment that allowed Apple to overcharge users.

• The group also claims an iOS monopoly across Apple systems helped it get an “unfair advantage” in the cloud storage market.

• The group has filed the action with the Competition Appeal Tribunal, aiming to give customers back their money and open up the iOS ecosystem to avoid litigation.

• Apple has rejected the allegations about iCloud’s anticompetitive practices, pointing out that using its cloud storage service was not compulsory and there were alternatives.

• The group is specifically targeting Apple in its legal case, alleging anticompetitive action such as restricting alternative options and locking in customers.

• The Android market has more options for cloud services that are easy to install and use across diverse devices, with less of a “walled garden” structure. Google itself offers both Drive and Cloud services, with a basic Google Account also getting 15 GB of storage for free.