The Justice Department, joined by 16 other state and district attorneys general, including Tennessee, has filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Apple for monopolization or attempted monopolization of smartphone markets in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Act.
The complaint alleges that Apple illegally maintains a monopoly over smartphones by selectively imposing contractual restrictions on, and withholding critical access points from, developers. According to the lawsuit, Apple undermines apps, products, and services that would otherwise make users less reliant on the iPhone, promote interoperability, and lower costs for consumers and developers. The suit also claims that Apple exercises its monopoly power to extract more money from consumers, developers, content creators, artists, publishers, small businesses, and merchants, among others.
The Justice Department and state Attorneys General “are seeking relief to restore competition to these vital markets on behalf of the American public.”