Apple denies ‘locking in’ iCloud users as £3bn legal claim brought by Which? reaches court

Apple has dismissed a legal claim that it has breached UK competition law by overcharging and “trapping” users who sign up to use its iCloud storage service, on the first day of a court hearing regarding the matter.

The tech giant is the subject of a £3bn legal action raised against it by Which?, with the consumer rights advocate claiming that Apple has locked millions of UK consumers into using its iCloud storage technology through its “rip-off” pricing since 1 October 2015.

A three-day court hearing into the matter, scheduled to conclude on 21 November 2025, starts today. Its purpose is to determine if Which? should be granted permission by the Competition Appeal Tribunal to act as a class representative on this matter, so that it can pursue compensation on behalf of the 41 million UK iCloud users it claims were affected by Apple’s behaviour.

Which? first filed its complaint against Apple in November 2024, and stated at the time that its intention was to secure £3bn in compensation for the UK-based Apple device users it claims were “unfairly” locked into using the iCloud service.

Specifically, Which? claimed that Apple has breached competition law by “favouring its own cloud storage services” on iOS devices, and by failing to resolve technical restrictions that lock users into the iCloud platform, while making it difficult for users to seek out alternative providers.

“It is Which?’s belief that Apple, the second-largest public company in the world, has abused its position, stifling competition and ripping off millions of customers in the process,” said Which?, in a statement. “Which? asserts that this has led to consumers being overcharged each year through their monthly iCloud subscription fees.” 

According to Which?, the court hearing marks a “significant milestone in the battle for more choice in the consumer cloud market” and, if successful, could “help millions of consumers get redress for Apple’s anti-competitve abuse”, the organisation’s statement continued.

Which? CEO Anabel Hoult added that the court hearing itself is an “essential step” in the organisation’s “fight” to represent the millions of UK consumers it believes are owned nearly £3bn in compensation as a result of Apple’s alleged behaviour.

“Which? wants to make clear that no company can abuse its position without facing serious repercussions,” said Hoult. “Taking this legal action means we can help consumers to get the redress that they are owed, deter other companies from using similar tactics and drive a more competitive market with positive outcomes for consumers.”

When Which? first announced details of the legal action, Apple shared a statement with Computer Weekly, outlined its rejection of “any suggestion” that its iCloud practices are anti-competitive. The statement added: “And [Apple] will vigorously defend against any legal claim otherwise.”

On the first day of the court hearing, an Apple spokesperson restated its view to Computer Weekly that the company has no case to answer. “These claims are unfounded,” the spokesperson said. “We work hard to make iCloud a great experience, but no customer is required to use it and customers in the UK have plenty of alternatives to choose from.”