Apple hit with class action lawsuit claiming iCloud storage monopoly

Apple is accused in a new proposed class action lawsuit of unlawfully monopolizing the market for iCloud storage on its mobile devices, forcing the company’s customers to pay what plaintiffs claim are artificially high prices.

Reuters:
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The proposed class action lawsuit, filed on Friday in San Jose, California federal court, said Apple “coerces” its customers into using the company’s iCloud service for storing and backing up certain “restricted” app data and device setting files.

The named plaintiff, a Los Angeles resident, said she was paying $2.99 monthly for an iCloud storage plan. Her lawyers at the class action firm Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro seek to represent a nationwide class of at least tens of millions of consumers who purchased iCloud storage plans.

Apple’s iCloud storage monthly subscription is free for up to 5 gigabytes of data and then ranges in price according to size.

The lawsuit said Apple has unlawfully “tied” two distinct products, its mobile devices and cloud storage. It is seeking unspecified damages that could be tripled under federal antitrust law.

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MacDailyNews Take: As with Macs, iPhones and iPads work with third-party online storage services such as Box, Dropbox, One Drive, Google Drive etc. Apple’s Files file management app for iPhones and iPads allows users to browse local files stored within apps, including files stored in third-party cloud storage services including Box, Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, etc.
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