Increasingly Stuck, Four US States Join In DOJ's Lawsuit Against Apple

Illustration of US Justice Department officials (photo: x @TheJusticeDept)

JAKARTA - Four US states on Tuesday 11 June joined the Justice Department (DOJ) lawsuit against Apple Inc. The lawsuit accused the company of monopolizing the smartphone market. The states are Indiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Washington.

The original lawsuit was filed in March, and by then, 15 states as well as the District of Columbia had joined the lawsuit. The lawsuit alleges that Apple is using its market power to earn more money from consumers, developers, content creators, artists, publishers, small businesses, and traders.

This civil lawsuit accuses Apple of illegal monopoly on smartphones by imposing contractual restrictions and withholding critical access from developers. DOJ previously stated that Apple set a price of up to $1599 for an iPhone and made a bigger profit than any competitor.

Officials also said that Apple imposes hidden fees on various business partners - from software developers to credit card companies and even competitors like Alphabet's Google, in a way that ultimately raises prices for consumers.

Apple said it plans to ask federal judges in New Jersey to drop the case, arguing that the company " faces stiff competition from established competitors." An Apple spokesperson has not yet responded to requests for comment from the media.