Apple has emerged victorious in a legal challenge regarding its iCloud storage practices, as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit claiming deceptive marketing of the service's free storage tier.
The lawsuit claimed Apple misled customers about their ability to stay within the free 5GB storage limit on iCloud-enabled devices. Plaintiffs argued users inevitably exceed this cap and are forced to purchase paid storage plans, which range from $0.99 monthly for 50GB to $59.99 for 12TB in the United States.
However, the three-judge panel rejected these arguments, noting that plaintiffs failed to prove it was "virtually impossible" to manage storage within the free limit. The court highlighted that some plaintiffs themselves remained on the free 5GB tier, and users retain the option to disable iCloud services at any time.
This ruling reinforces a previous decision made by a Northern California district court in May 2022. Unless the plaintiffs successfully appeal to the Supreme Court, which appears unlikely, this particular legal challenge has concluded.
The free storage limit has remained unchanged since iCloud's launch in 2011, drawing continued criticism from users who consider 5GB inadequate for modern needs. While this case may be resolved, Apple continues to face additional iCloud-related legal challenges in both the U.S. and U.K. markets.