A lawsuit surrounding Apple’s supposed business practice of illegally monopolizing digital storage with its iCloud service was filed in 2024, but just a year later, U.S. District Judge Eumi Lee dismissed the case, with AppleInsider reporting that plaintiffs were given the opportunity to file an amended one. The consumers’ perseverance has paid off because a new proposed class action lawsuit has included many allegations, including one where some data is restricted to the company’s service and is not allowed to be accessed by third-party cloud storage providers.
Some users’ data files are needed to fully restore an Apple device when using third-party services, but not when using iCloud
In the amended lawsuit, Reuters reports that plaintiffs have alleged that Apple violated antitrust law by requiring iPhone customers to use the iCloud storage service to back up core data and device settings files. No other third-party service can be used to backup this kind of data, and with iCloud only offering 5GB of free space, that amount can be used up rather quickly. Judge Lee has revived the lawsuit after she learned about the importance of data storage for all iPhone files, including the restricted ones.
The report says that Apple has denied any wrongdoing and did not immediately respond to comment. Plaintiffs who were using the paid version of iCloud with the $2.99 subscription plan filed the lawsuit last year, likely because they could not use third-party solutions to backup data and settings files for iPhones. Apple has defended this decision, saying that it adheres to such practices because they guarantee high security.
The technology giant has also urged Judge Lee to dismiss the plaintiff's claims as untimely. It typically takes around four years to bring such claims under the U.S. antitrust umbrella. The plaintiff’s lawyers wish to represent a nationwide class of tens of millions of consumers who purchased iCloud storage plans, which could put more weight on the lawsuit, possibly even favoring consumers, but only time will tell how successful they are in their pursuit.
News Source: Reuters
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
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