Apple is being sued by the Justice Department for allegedly creating an unlawful monopoly in the smartphone industry that limits competition and hinders innovation.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Apple is the target of a massive antitrust lawsuit filed by the Justice Department on Thursday. The lawsuit claims that Apple has created an illegal monopoly in the smartphone market that keeps prices artificially high, stifles competition, and boxes out rivals. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in New Jersey, alleges that Apple has monopoly power in the smartphone market and leverages control over the iPhone to “engage in a broad, sustained, and illegal course of conduct.

Lisa Monaco, Deputy Attorney General, claimed that Apple had locked its rivals out of the market while locking its customers into the iPhone. She declared that it has “smothered an entire industry,” halting the growth of the very market it revolutionized. Defending against the lawsuit “vigorously,” Apple stated that it is “wrong on the facts and the law.”. “.

The lawsuit targets Apple for allegedly manipulating its business practices and technological advancements in order to “extort more money from consumers, developers, content creators, artists, publishers, small businesses, and merchants, among others.”. “.

This includes restricting third-party digital wallets’ ability to use contactless payment, making non-Apple smartwatches less functional, and prohibiting the company’s iMessage app from exchanging encrypted messages with rival services. In particular, it aims to stop Apple from continuing to negotiate deals with developers, accessory manufacturers, and customers that allow it to “obtain, maintain, extend, or entrench a monopoly” and from undermining technologies that rival its own apps in markets like messaging, streaming, and digital payments. “.

With the stated goal of making the digital world more equitable, inventive, and competitive, the administration has also taken on Google, Amazon, and other tech giants. This lawsuit, which has been filed alongside 16 state attorneys general, is just the most recent example of its aggressive antitrust enforcement. At a press conference to announce the lawsuit, Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter, the head of the antitrust division, said, “The Department of Justice has an enduring legacy taking on the biggest and toughest monopolies in history.”.

We’re here today to encourage innovation and competition for the upcoming generation of technology. “.

Comparing the lawsuit’s significance to the government’s action against Microsoft 25 years ago, antitrust researcher Dina Srinavasan, a fellow at Yale University, said that the government was picking a “tremendous fight” with the most successful company in the world.

“It’s a significant action to confront someone who is behaving like a bully but pretending not to be,” she stated. President Joe Biden has urged the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission to enforce antitrust laws more rigorously. Although some business leaders have criticized the increased scrutiny of corporate mergers and questionable practices, others have praised it as necessary. The case aims to break through the barriers that Apple Inc. has carefully constructed around its products, creating a seamless user experience commonly known as a “walled garden.”

MenuShow SearchLive: March Madness; Israel-Hamas war; Moscow concert hall shooting; Kate Middleton cancer; WASHINGTON NEWS; Justice Department files antitrust lawsuit against Apple, accusing the tech giant of creating an unlawful monopoly in smartphones that stifles innovation and boxes out competitors. Photos9BY MICHAEL LIEDTKE, LINDSAY WHITEHURST, MIKE BALSAMO, AND FRANK BAJAKUpdated 9:12 PM GMT+1, March 21, 2024ShareWASHINGTON (AP) — On Thursday, the Justice Department announced the filing of a broad antitrust lawsuit against Apple, alleging the tech giant has engineered an illegal monopoly in smartphones that confines competitors, stifles innovation, and maintains falsely high prices. The lawsuit, which was submitted to a federal court in New Jersey, asserts that Apple is the market leader in smartphones and that it uses its monopoly on the iPhone to “engage in a broad, sustained, and illegal course of conduct.”. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco claimed that Apple had “locked its consumers into the iPhone while locking its competitors out of the market.”. Smothering an entire industry, she claimed, it has stalled the progress of the very market it revolutionized. “Apple will vigorously defend against it,” the company declared, calling the lawsuit “wrong on the facts and the law.”. The lawsuit challenges Apple’s purported manipulation of its business practices and technological advancements in order to “extort more money from consumers.”.

MenuShow SearchLive: March MadnessThe Justice Department files an antitrust lawsuit against Apple, claiming the tech giant illegally monopolized the smartphone market, boxing out rivals and stifling innovation. Other news: Kate Middleton’s cancer; the Israel-Hamas war; the Moscow concert hall shooting; and Washington, D.C. Photos9BY MICHAEL LIEDTKE, LINDSAY WHITEHURST, MIKE BALSAMO, AND FRANK BAJAKUpdated 9:12 PM GMT+1, March 21, 2024ShareWASHINGTON (AP) — On Thursday, the Justice Department announced the filing of a broad antitrust lawsuit against Apple, alleging the tech giant has engineered an illegal monopoly in smartphones that keeps prices artificially high, boxes out competitors, and stifles innovation. Apple is accused of having monopoly power in the smartphone industry and using its hold on the iPhone to “engage in a broad, sustained, and illegal course of conduct,” according to the lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in New Jersey. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco claimed, “Apple has locked its competitors out of the market while locking its consumers into the iPhone.”. Saying it has “smothered an entire industry,” it has halted the growth of the very market it revolutionized. Apple declared that it “will vigorously defend against” the lawsuit, calling it “wrong on the facts and the law.”. The lawsuit targets Apple for allegedly manipulating its business relationships and technology in order to “extract more money from consumers.”.

menu show SearchLive: March MadnessThe Justice Department files an antitrust lawsuit against Apple, claiming the tech giant illegally monopolized the smartphone market, boxing out rivals and stifling innovation. Other news: Kate Middleton’s cancer; the Israel-Hamas war; the Moscow concert hall shooting; and Washington, D.C. Photos9BY MICHAEL LIEDTKE, LINDSAY WHITEHURST, MIKE BALSAMO, AND FRANK BAJAKUpdated 9:12 PM GMT+1, March 21, 2024ShareWASHINGTON (AP) — On Thursday, the Justice Department announced the filing of a broad antitrust lawsuit against Apple, alleging the tech giant has engineered an illegal monopoly in smartphones that keeps prices artificially high, boxes out competitors, and stifles innovation. Apple is accused of having monopoly power in the smartphone industry and using its hold on the iPhone to “engage in a broad, sustained, and illegal course of conduct,” according to the lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in New Jersey. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco claimed, “Apple has locked its competitors out of the market while locking its consumers into the iPhone.”. Saying it has “smothered an entire industry,” it has halted the growth of the very market it revolutionized. Apple declared that it “will vigorously defend against” the lawsuit, calling it “wrong on the facts and the law.”. The lawsuit targets Apple for allegedly manipulating its business relationships and technology in order to “extract more money from consumers.”.