Users of Apple products get a small amount of digital storage for free – and after that are encouraged to pay to use its iCloud service to back up photos, videos, messages, contacts and all the other content which lives on their device.
Prices for this storage range from £0.99 a month for 50GB of space to £54.99 a month for 12TB.
Apple does not allow rival storage services full access to its products.
It says that is for security reasons – but it also contributes to the company’s enormous revenues, external.
Which? says over a period of nine years dating back to 2015 Apple has been effectively locking people into its services – and then overcharging them.
“By bringing this claim, Which? is showing big corporations like Apple that they cannot rip off UK consumers without facing repercussions,” the body’s chief executive Anabel Hoult said.
“Taking this legal action means we can help consumers to get the redress that they are owed, deter similar behaviour in the future and create a better, more competitive market.”
Apple has strongly denied Which’s accusations.
“We reject any suggestion that our iCloud practices are anti-competitive and will vigorously defend against any legal claim otherwise,” it said in a statement.
