The proposed class action accuses Apple of having a monopoly on cloud storage for its devices

A class-action lawsuit filed against Apple on Friday in a Northern California court accused the company of creating unfair conditions to ensure iCloud remained the dominant cloud storage option for its devices, according to the British newspaper “Daily Mail”. . By placing “surgical technological limits” on the types of files that other cloud providers can host, Apple has made it so that only iCloud can offer a full storage service to users of Apple devices, the complaint says. According to the complaint, this also allowed Apple to charge higher fees in the absence of “any real threat to iCloud’s dominance.”

The proposed category, represented by Hagens Berman, would cover tens of millions of customers in the United States, Bloomberg Law Notes. While iPhone and iPad users have the option to store certain types of files with non-Apple cloud storage providers, there are some things — including app data and device settings — that only iCloud has permission to host. This leaves users to choose between the “unattractive” option of juggling multiple cloud storage accounts to fully cover their backup needs, or the convenience of full iCloud. The complaint says Apple’s restrictions are arbitrary and serve to stifle competition.

Apple “does not dominate because it has built a superior cloud storage product,” the complaint states. “From a security and functionality standpoint, iCloud is no better (and often inferior) than other cloud storage platforms. Instead, Apple has achieved market dominance by rigging the competitive playing field so that only iCloud can win. Filed The case is just in progress and has not yet been granted class action status, but anyone who thinks they might be eligible to participate in it can fill out a form at To find out more information.