By Faith Gonia
In late March, the United States Justice Department announced an antitrust lawsuit against Apple, arguing that the multinational tech company’s monopoly of smartphone markets hinders the success of competitors, as well as manipulates users to have a reliance on Apple products.
Referencing the 1890 Sherman Antitrust Act, the Justice Department and 15 other states complained that Apple violated the monopoly portion of the law. According to them, Apple intentionally blocks competitors from ever reaching the iPhone’s capabilities—through many actions, limiting “Super Apps” like WeChat, enforcing a requirement of iPhones for the Apple Watch, and controlling cloud-streaming apps like Spotify, Apple maintains an illegal monopoly over smartphones.
In response to the claims, Apple asserts that the lawsuit is “wrong on the facts and the law.” The Big Tech corporation justifies its conduct with alleged privacy benefits.
Controversy over Apple’s conduct is not new. Just a month before the Justice Department’s lawsuit, the European Commission (EC) fined the tech company two billion dollars in a dispute between Spotify and Apple. Following Spotfiy’s 2019 complaint with the EC regarding Apple’s App Store rules, the EC examined the fees with which Apple charges developers. The EC found that the restrictions that Apple enforces in its App Store truly create an unfair playing field for other developers.
As the case began this year, the parties cannot expect a verdict until 2026. In the meantime, the case will continue in the U.S. District Court of New Jersey.