Here's how to grab your share of Apple's $4 billion lawsuit payout (if you qualify)

A UK tribunal has approved a collective legal action letting a $4 billion (£3 billion) claim against Apple proceed to trial after consumer rights group Which? formally accused the company of violating competition laws. The tribunal recently set a full trial date for October 2028.

Which? filed the lawsuit way back in November 2024, accusing Apple of trapping users in iCloud by restricting rivals from fully accessing iOS. Apple gives users only 5GB of free space, and once that limit vanishes, the system drives upgrades by repeatedly nudging users through notifications. The group claims Apple overcharged millions who bought plans ranging from 99p a month for 50GB to £54.99 a month for 12TB.

If Which? wins the now-greenlit lawsuit, the court will force Apple to pay out damages to roughly 40 million UK consumers, with each person receiving around £77 for the pricing abuse. Apple has already put out a statement telling Reuters that the allegations are completely false and that consumers do have choices. "We work hard to make iCloud a great experience, but no customer is required to use it, and customers in the UK have plenty of alternatives to choose from," it told the outlet.

The good thing is that if Which? wins, claiming your share requires almost no effort due to the automatic structure of the litigation. You are eligible if you used Apple's iCloud services between November 8, 2018, and June 8, 2026, and paid for upgraded storage during that time. The tribunal automatically enrolls everyone living in the UK on June 8, 2026. The system operates on an "opt-out" basis, meaning you do not have to register right now, and you will just verify your details to collect your cash. However, if you want to leave the claim, you must notify Which? by October 8, 2026.

But if you lived outside the UK on June 8, 2026, you must manually register on the official Which? website before October 8, 2026, to opt into the action. If you ignore this deadline, you will lose your chance to grab a share of the settlement.

On a related note, Google recently had to resolve a massive data privacy fight by agreeing to a payout of over $170 million to Android users. In that lawsuit, plaintiffs argued that Google programmed the Android system to transmit user data without permission, wasting cellular data.

To settle, Google agreed to pay a $135 million nationwide settlement alongside an extra $35 million in California. Eligible Android users must submit online claims to secure their cash, with the final approval hearing literally taking place today (June 23, 2026).