U.S. Justice Department Sues Apple for Allegedly Having an Illegal Monopoly With the iPhone

Apple is officially under scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Justice. The Justice Department has filed an antitrust lawsuit against the giant tech company, alleging that the it has maintained a monopoly on the iPhone.

The DOJ is arguing that its monopoly has caused for the lack of growth in the area in the industry harming competitors, developers and consumers. They have alleged that by Apple has engaged in anticompetitive measures that keep consumers from buying iPhones. From limiting third-party wallet and smartwatch compatibility as well as blocking cross-platform messaging apps and its controversial decisions to discourage non-App Store programs. The DOJ is also claiming that Apple’s anticompetitive practices are exclusionary due to contractual restrictions and fees that deliberately limit the function and features offered on the iPhone and within its operating system.

In the 88-page lawsuit filed earlier this week, the government stated, “Each step in Apple’s course of conduct built and reinforced the moat around its smartphone monopoly. The cumulative effect of this course of conduct has been to maintain and entrench Apple’s smartphone monopoly at the expense of the users, developers and other third parties who helped make the iPhone what it is today.” The lawsuit aims to request a “relief as needed to cure any anticompetitive harm” in the form of an injunction to block Apple’s alleged anticompetitive conduct. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement, “Consumers should not have to pay higher prices because companies violate the antitrust laws. We allege that Apple has maintained monopoly power in the smartphone market, not simply by staying ahead of the competition on the merits, but by violating federal antitrust law. If left unchallenged, Apple will only continue to strengthen its smartphone monopoly.”

Apple rebuts the claims with a statement of their own, “At Apple, we innovate every day to make technology people love — designing products that work seamlessly together, protect people’s privacy and security, and create a magical experience for our users. This lawsuit threatens who we are and the principles that set Apple products apart in fiercely competitive markets. If successful, it would hinder our ability to create the kind of technology people expect from Apple — where hardware, software, and services intersect. It would also set a dangerous precedent, empowering government to take a heavy hand in designing people’s technology.”