Apple Faces Major Antitrust Lawsuit In The US

Tech giant Apple has been hit with a bombshell lawsuit in the United States, accusing the company of monopolising the smartphone market, illegally stifling competition, and inflating consumer prices. 

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The lawsuit, filed by the US Department of Justice and 15 states on Thursday, alleges that Apple leveraged its control over the iPhone to crush competition and drive up prices for its services.

Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasised the importance of challenging such anti-competitive behaviour.

“Consumers should not have to pay higher prices because companies violate the antitrust laws.”

The lawsuit claims that Apple’s dominance in the smartphone market allows it to extract more money from various stakeholders.

The 88-page lawsuit, filed in federal court in Newark, New Jersey, aims to free smartphone markets from Apple’s allegedly anti-competitive conduct and restore competition to lower consumer prices. 

It accuses Apple of repeatedly making its products worse for consumers to prevent competition from emerging.

Apple, however, has disagreed with the allegations, asserting that the lawsuit threatens its ability to innovate and deliver high-quality products to consumers. 

The company’s shares experienced a three per cent decline following the lawsuit’s announcement.

This is not the first time Apple has faced antitrust scrutiny.

The company has been subject to similar probes and legal actions in Europe, Japan, and Korea. 

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