US Sues Apple Accusing It of Monopoly

The US has joined the EU in an attempt to fuel competition.

Image credit: Kicking Studio/Shutterstock

We all know Apple is a tech giant whose influence is unbelievably wide, especially in the US. While the EU has a better range of phone brands, its governments have already pushed against Apple's monopoly, forcing it to allow users to download apps from third-party sources. This includes Fortnite, the company's nemesis that started the whole movement. In January, Epic Games announced its return to iOS devices, although Apple came up with another sly scheme to defy the DMA.

It seems like the US is finally joining the battle. The Justice Department has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple, accusing it of maintaining a monopoly in the phone department. According to The New York Times, the department joined 16 states and the District of Columbia, saying Apple's practices hurt consumers and smaller competitors.

"Over the years, it has limited finance companies’ access to the phone’s payment chip and Bluetooth trackers from tapping into its location-service feature. It’s also easier for users to connect Apple products, like smartwatches and laptops, to the iPhone than to those made by other manufacturers," said NYT.

All this leads to "higher prices and less innovation," according to the government. Apple, in turn, believes this makes its devices more secure.

"This lawsuit threatens who we are and the principles that set Apple products apart in fiercely competitive markets," an Apple spokeswoman said. "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."

The company is reportedly planning to dismiss the case in the next 60 days, emphasizing that competition laws allow it to use practices that its competitors oppose.

Such monopolization claims are not new, naturally. Google has been accused of hogging search and search advertising, and in the process, we learned that it pays $18 billion to $20 billion to Apple every year so its search stays default on Apple's devices.

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US Sues Apple Accusing It of Monopoly

Image credit: Kicking Studio/Shutterstock

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