According to Bloomberg Law, Apple was accused of setting up unfair circumstances in a class action case that was filed against the firm on Friday in a northern California court. The complaint aims to ensure that iCloud continues to be the most popular option for cloud storage for Apple devices. The complaint claims that Apple has limited the kinds of files that other cloud services can host with “surgical technological restraints,” meaning that only iCloud can provide full-service storage to owners of Apple devices. The complaint claims that since there isn’t “any real threat to iCloud’s dominance,” Apple has been able to raise prices.
Bloomberg Law writes that tens of millions of US consumers would be covered by the proposed class, which Hagens Berman is representing. Some elements, like app data and device settings, are only authorized to be hosted by iCloud, even though owners of iPhones and iPads can save some kinds of files with non-Apple cloud storage providers. This means that consumers have to decide between iCloud’s full-service convenience and the “unattractive” option of managing multiple cloud storage accounts to adequately fulfill their backup needs. It is alleged in the case that Apple’s limitations are capricious and serve to hamper competition.
The case claims that Apple “does not dominate because it built a superior cloud-storage product.” “iCloud is not superior to other cloud storage solutions in terms of security or functionality—in fact, it is frequently inferior. Rather, by manipulating the competitive landscape to favor iCloud over rival products, Apple has taken control of the market. Although the litigation is still in its early stages and has not yet been awarded class action status, anyone interested in learning more about their potential involvement can fill out a form on the Hagens Berman website.
