Four additional US states have joined the antitrust lawsuit led by the Justice Department against Apple, which alleges the tech giant’s monopolization of smartphone markets. Indiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Washington have now joined the civil antitrust suit, bringing the total number of co-plaintiffs to 20 states and the District of Columbia. This legal action aims to challenge Apple’s alleged monopolistic practices in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Act.
The amended complaint, filed by the Department of Justice and its coalition of 20 co-plaintiffs, has been submitted to the District of New Jersey. Earlier this year, the Justice Department, along with 15 other states and district attorneys general, initiated the civil antitrust lawsuit against Apple, accusing the company of leveraging its market power to extract more money from various stakeholders, including consumers, developers, and small businesses.
The lawsuit contends that Apple’s control over the iPhone has facilitated anti-competitive conduct, including imposing contractual restrictions on developers and impeding access to critical resources. The tech giant is accused of stifling innovation by hindering the growth of new apps, cloud-streaming services, and cross-platform messaging apps, as well as obstructing the functionality of alternative smartwatches and third-party payment options.
Ultimately, the Department of Justice seeks to address Apple’s alleged anti-competitive behavior and safeguard competition and innovation in the smartphone market for the benefit of consumers, developers, content creators, and device manufacturers.
