Which? wins green light for £3 billion Apple iCloud class action

Which? has won permission to press ahead with a multibillion-pound class action that says Apple trapped UK customers inside iCloud and charged them more than a competitive market would have allowed. The consumer group says the case could cover around 40 million iPhone and iPad users, with an average payout of about £70 to £77 if it succeeds.

The claim centres on Apple’s alleged abuse of dominance in cloud storage. Which? says Apple failed to give users a genuine choice of providers and steered them toward iCloud on iOS devices without clearly explaining alternatives. It also alleges that Apple overcharged customers through monthly iCloud subscription fees, leaving rival cloud services with less attention and less room to compete.

The Competition Appeal Tribunal granted a Collective Proceedings Order, allowing the case to proceed as a class action against Apple Distribution International Ltd. The class is said to include people who used iCloud between 8 November 2018 and 8 June 2026 and were living in the UK on 8 June 2026. People who were not UK residents on that date but used iCloud during the relevant period can opt in. Anyone seeking to opt out, or opt in from abroad, must notify Which? by 8 October 2026.

Which? estimates the total claim at almost £3 billion. That figure, if realised, would make the case one of the largest consumer actions ever brought against a technology company in the UK and would turn a dispute over cloud storage into a test of how much power Apple can exert over its own users.

The stakes reach beyond refunds. Which? says a successful case could help create a more competitive cloud-storage market and deter similar conduct by other companies that control digital platforms, software and payment systems. That argument goes to the heart of modern antitrust policy: if a company controls the gateway, can it shape prices, limit switching and leave consumers paying more than they should?

The tribunal’s decision landed against the backdrop of another major Apple defeat in London. In a separate ruling on 23 October 2025, the tribunal found Apple dominant in iOS app distribution and in-app payment services, saying it imposed exclusionary practices and charged a 30% commission. That judgment sharpened scrutiny of Apple’s grip on the iPhone ecosystem and gave extra weight to the iCloud challenge, which asks whether the same control over distribution can also distort storage markets.