US Department of Justice Sues Apple

Having had trouble with the courts lately Applenow too US Department of Justice was taken to court by. This time, the subject of the case stems from Apple’s blocking of its competitors’ access to iPhone software and hardware. Ministry of Justice, previously google While suing them for being a monopoly, the Federal Trade Commission also filed antitrust lawsuits against Meta and Amazon.

In fact, disputes between the USA and technology giants have been going on for a very long time. Apple, which is constantly sued by various institutions, for 14 years are taken to court by the Ministry of Justice for various reasons. The feature of this case is that it is the first case in which the iPhone manufacturer is accused of illegally maintaining its dominant position in the market.

Apple accused of “illegal activity” for the first time

The lawsuit, which accuses the tech giant of illegally holding a monopoly in the smartphone market, was filed by the Department of Justice and district attorneys from 16 states. The company accuses users of increasing prices for consumers and developers to make them more dependent on iPhones. Apple is also said to have imposed contractual restrictions on developers and blocked key ways to access the phone.

In addition, accusations against the company include blocking services such as cloud streaming applications for video games, reducing the quality of messaging between iPhone and rival platforms such as Android, compatibility issues with non-iPhone devices in smart watches, and preventing third-party developers from creating competing digital payment methods. there is.

Apple was also under pressure from Europe

Apple was already accused of obstructing competition in Europe. Applewas fined 1.8 billion euros this month for preventing rivals from offering more affordable prices in the music publishing market. Apple objected to this penalty and the authorities “consumers are harmed” Couldn’t find any reliable evidence“ he had defended.

Apple is also the subject of a comprehensive investigation under the EU’s new Digital Markets Law. The company’s competitors, Apple’s store rules and complained about the commission it demanded from out-of-store purchases and argued that the company’s new pricing policy also meant more costs for developers and users.

The Department of Justice filed its last lawsuit against Apple in 2019 during the Donald Trump era. Apple shares after lawsuit rulings While it decreased by 1.4%In 2024, the company’s value loss was 7.2%.