Summary created by Smart Answers AI
In summary:
- Macworld reports that a £3 billion class-action lawsuit against Apple for allegedly anti-competitive iCloud practices has been approved to proceed in U.K. courts.
- The case affects approximately 40 million U.K. consumers who used iCloud between November 2018 and June 2026, with potential payouts of £77 per person.
- Apple denies wrongdoing and plans vigorous defense, while the trial isn’t expected until October 2028.
If you’ve used iCloud in the past five years while living in the U.K., you could be in line for a future payout. A £3bn (roughly $4bn) class-action lawsuit against Apple has been given the go-ahead to proceed to trial.
“[We believe] that Apple has breached U.K. competition law by failing to provide a choice of cloud storage providers, and steering customers towards its iCloud service by not clearly informing them of alternatives and how those could be used on an iOS device,” the advocacy group Which? argues in its announcement of the news.
The group filed the claim in November 2024, accusing Apple of effectively locking consumers into the iCloud service by denying rival storage services full access to its products, and then charging excessive prices for iCloud’s paid tiers.
“By bringing this claim, Which? is showing big corporations like Apple that they cannot rip off U.K. consumers without facing repercussions,” the group’s chief executive, Anabel Hoult, said in a statement at the time.
Which? urged Apple to resolve the claim outside of court by giving consumers their money back and opening up competition to storage rivals. But the company insisted it “[rejected] any suggestion that our iCloud practices are anti-competitive” and would “vigorously defend against any legal claim otherwise.”
The case now appears to be headed to trial, following the granting of a Collective Proceedings Order (CPO) this week, although Apple still has plenty of time to appeal or reach a settlement. It’s not expected to be heard until October 2028.
If you can wait that long, a payout may be headed your way. To qualify for inclusion in the lawsuit, you need to meet two main criteria:
- You “obtained iCloud services” on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch at some point between November 2018 and June 2026.
- You lived in the U.K. at some point between November 2018 and June 2026.
There are some further criteria and exclusions, but that’s the gist of it. If you meet the criteria and were a U.K. resident on June 8 of this year, you’ll be included in the claim by default and don’t need to opt in. If for whatever reason you don’t want to be included, you’ll need to contact Which? by 8 October and opt out, but then you won’t be entitled to a share of any compensation.
If you meet the criteria but weren’t a U.K. resident on June 8 (in other words, you lived in the UK at some point after November 2018, but later moved away) you will need to opt in to be included. Again, get in touch with Which? by October 8.
The easiest way to contact the relevant people is to use the CloudClaim website. You can read more details about eligibility on the site’s FAQ page.
Which? estimates that roughly 40 million consumers will be included in the lawsuit, and that Apple could be on the hook for £77 per person if Apple is ordered to pay the full amount. But it’s likely the final settlement will be much lower than that after court proceedings and legal fees.
This isn’t the first class-action lawsuit related to Apple’s iCloud services. Back in 2022, the company agreed to a $14.8M settlement for “breach of contract regarding the iCloud Service that Apple provides to its users.” That case only applied to U.S. residents.
