U.K. consumer-protection group Which? said the iPhone maker had breached competition rules by tying consumers to its iCloud storage service.

A consumer rights group in the U.K. has filed a lawsuit against Apple, claiming it locks its customers into the iCloud cloud storage service.

U.K. consumer rights group 'Which?' is filing a legal claim against Apple under competition law on behalf of some 40 million users of iCloud, its cloud

British consumer group Which? will launch legal action against Apple on Thursday, alleging the tech giant breached competition law by effectively locking millions of its customers into its iCloud service.

Which? has filed a lawsuit against the iPhone provider, alleging the company forces its customers to use its iCloud services. If the company is found to have broken the rules, around 40 million UK Apple customers could get a payout.

Apple is facing a legal claim accusing it of effectively locking 40 million British customers into its iCloud service and charging them "rip off prices." Consumer group Which? says the legal action - which it has launched - could result in a £3bn payout if it is successful,

Macworld Around 40 million Apple customers in the U.K. could be entitled to an average payout of £70 if a major new legal challenge is successful. The consumer publication Which? has announced what it describes as a landmark legal claim against the company for alleged breaches of competition law.