The government also says that Apple has thrown around its power to suppress innovation in streaming services for video games, non-Apple smartwatches, and third-party digital wallets that let users tap-to-pay.
Apple says the restrictions around its software and hardware are to protect people’s privacy and security.
“This lawsuit threatens who we are and the principles that set Apple products apart in fiercely competitive markets,” a company spokesperson says. “If successful, it would hinder our ability to create the kind of technology people expect from Apple—where hardware, software, and services intersect. It would also set a dangerous precedent, empowering government to take a heavy hand in designing people’s technology.”
Apple says it will vigorously defend itself against this lawsuit. In the lead-up to the suit, Apple reportedly met with Justice Department officials multiple times, according to the New York Times.
Under the Biden administration, the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission have filed antitrust lawsuits against several leading tech companies.
The Department of Justice went to trial against Google parent Alphabet last fall over allegations that it stomped out competing search engines. The FTC is working on a massive suit against Amazon.
This is the third lawsuit the Justice Department has brought against Apple over antitrust violations in the past two decades. European regulators have also targeted the company over anti-competitive behavior, including claims of boxing out rivals with its music streaming service.
“No matter how powerful, no matter how prominent, no matter how popular — no company is above the law,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco says.
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