We extend our huge congratulations to Dr Rachael Kent, Senior Lecturer in Digital Economy & Society Education at King’s College London, for her historic success in a landmark collective action against Apple — the first claim under the UK’s opt out collective action regime to reach a successful positive judgment.

In Kent v Apple, the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) unanimously ruled that Apple had abused its dominant position for more than a decade by excluding rival app stores and imposing unlawfully high commissions — typically 30% — on paid apps, subscriptions, and in-app purchases made by UK iPhone and iPad users. The Tribunal found that these practices breached both UK and EU competition law, resulting in an estimated £1.5 billion in losses to around 36 million consumers and businesses.

Dr Kent is the UK’s first female Class Representative to win a historic £1.5 billion collective action against Apple. Her role in this litigation has been widely praised as mission‑driven, acting in good faith and with a strong sense of purpose on behalf of consumers across the UK. Her leadership highlights the essential role of individual representatives in making collective redress effective.

“This is a landmark victory, not only for App Store users, but for anyone who has ever felt powerless against a global tech giant.” — Dr Rachael Kent

The case applies to UK users who made affected purchases via the App Store from 1 October 2015 onward. The Tribunal concluded that Apple’s restrictive payment system — which forces developers to use Apple’s own in-app payment mechanism — prevented competition and inflated consumer prices in widely used apps including Tinder, YouTube, Candy Crush, and Fortnite.

“In our view, [Apple’s] restrictions cannot sensibly be justified as being necessary or proportionate… competition is much more likely to deliver the benefits that consumers want, in the form and at the price point they want them.” — UK Competition Appeal Tribunal

The case was presided over by Ben Tidswell, Chair of the Competition Appeal Tribunal, who will also be speaking at the Perfect Law Global Class Actions & Mass Torts Conference in London, April 2026. His presence at the upcoming conference will offer unparalleled insight about the progress of the UK collective redress mechanism.

This ruling adds momentum to a global wave of legal scrutiny targeting Apple’s App Store policies, with related enforcement actions underway in the US, South Korea, Australia, India, and the Netherlands. In the UK, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has also designated Apple as holding Strategic Market Status, enabling further oversight.

The case was led by Hausfeld & Co. LLP, with legal representation from leading competition law barristers at Brick Court Chambers and Monckton Chambers.

Apple has stated that it strongly disagrees with the ruling and intends to appeal. Nevertheless, the Tribunal’s judgment stands as a defining moment in the advancement of collective redress in the UK.

At Perfect Law, we believe this ruling will restore litigation funders confidence in the UK opt out collective redress procedure at the CAT and will stimulate further litigation in favour of consumers in the U.K.

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