Thursday, April 4th, 2023
On March 21, the U.S. Justice Department, in collaboration with 16 other state and district attorneys general, filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple.
The lawsuit alleges that Apple has engaged in unlawful exclusionary behaviour by establishing an illegal monopoly in the smartphone market. This is said to be achieved through selectively imposing contractual restrictions on, and withholding critical access points from, developers. The Justice Department argues that Apple’s practices undermine innovation for apps, products, and services that would otherwise promote interoperability with other products, reduce customer reliance on the iPhone, and lower costs for consumers and developers.
Apple has responded to the lawsuit, saying it threatens “the principles that set Apple products apart in fiercely competitive markets.” The company argues that its practices allow its products to work seamlessly together and protect its users’ privacy. Apple has argued that the lawsuit would "set a dangerous precedent, empowering government to take a heavy hand in designing people's technology."
The U.S. Justice Department and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission have increasingly been examining the practices of tech giants, with antitrust cases having been brought against Google, Meta Platforms, and Amazon.com.
Author: Cristin Hunt, 2023/2024 Articling Student