UK Consumer Group "Which?" Challenges Apple over iCloud Lock-In, Seeks £3 Billion Compensation

The UK consumer organization, "Which?", announced its intention to file a lawsuit against Apple Inc. on Thursday, alleging the technology giant has violated competition law by locking millions of users into its iCloud service. The organization argues that Apple encourages users to subscribe to iCloud for storing photos, videos, and other data, while simultaneously making it difficult for users to switch to alternative providers. As users surpass the free 5GB data limit, they are required to pay for continued service.

This alleged practice, according to the consumer group, has resulted in a lack of competition and has caused consumers to overpay by £13.36 (approximately $16.98) annually through monthly iCloud subscriptions. The claim is that if they achieve success in this legal action, around 40 million UK Apple users who have utilized iCloud over the past nine years could be entitled to compensation.

Annabel Holt, Chief Executive of "Which?", expressed that the organization believes Apple's approach has forced consumers into paying nearly £3 billion more over the years. She remarked, "By taking this legal action, we aim to help consumers receive the compensation they deserve and prevent future occurrences, striving for a better and more competitive market environment."

The consumer organization plans to present its claim before the UK's Competition Appeal Tribunal. In response, Apple has stated that its users are not compelled to use iCloud and many choose third-party alternatives. The company firmly denies any claims regarding anti-competitive practices related to iCloud and has pledged to vigorously defend against such accusations.