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The US judiciary has brought a wide-ranging indictment against Apple for allegedly systematically creating a monopoly on the iPhone. The group is accused of suppressing competition and imposing exorbitant prices on consumers.
The American judiciary brought a far-reaching accusation against Apple, alleging that it had systematically monopolized the iPhone. The Justice Department in Washington announced Thursday that the indictment was filed jointly by law enforcement agencies from the federal government and 17 states. The high-tech group is accused of suppressing competition and imposing exorbitant prices on consumers. The company strongly rejected these accusations.
The indictment is seen as a rift in the relationship between Apple and the US authorities, as the company has so far remained largely unmolested by the US judiciary. US Attorney General Merrick Garland, who is also the country's top prosecutor, justified the action by saying that otherwise “Apple would only expand its smartphone monopoly.”
The indictment accuses the California company of making it more difficult for consumers to switch from iPhones to cheaper smartphones. These accusations relate, among other things, to Apple's App Store, which imposes strict and often unclear rules on other companies and third-party developers.
“Consumers should not pay higher prices because companies violate competition laws,” Garland stressed. The Apple Wallet payment app is also the subject of the indictment. It's the only contactless payment app that Apple allows on the iPhone – so it's not possible to download similar payment apps from other providers.
Apple rejected these accusations and announced that it would defend itself “vigorously” against them. The company also warned of a “dangerous precedent” because a successful prosecution would give the state “far-reaching opportunities to interfere in designing technology for people.”
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