Four Additional States Join DOJ’s Antitrust Case Against Apple

Four additional states have joined the Department of Justice’s antitrust lawsuit against Apple, bringing the total to 19 states and the District of Columbia.

The DOJ filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple in late March, accusing the company of “monopolizing smartphone markets,” resulting in higher prices for customers. At the time, 15 states and the District of Columbia joined the DOJ. With the additional states, the list now includes:

• Arizona
• California
• Connecticut
• District of Columbia
• Indiana
• Maine
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New York
• Nevada
• North Dakota
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Tennessee
• Vermont
• Washington
• Wisconsin

“We welcome the States of Indiana, Massachusetts, Nevada and Washington, who join our existing coalition to restore competition in the smartphone markets that Apple has monopolized,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “We look forward to litigating this important case alongside our state partners to deliver the benefits of competition to consumers, app developers, accessory makers and the American public.”

Apple filed a petition in late May asking for the case to be dismissed, saying its smartphone business doesn’t meet the definition of a monopoly. It’s hard to argue with the company’s stand. Despite controlling 60.77% of the smartphone market in the US, the company has a mere 28.58% worldwide—hardly enough to constitute a monopoly.

Others agree with Apple, saying the DOJ’s case is a classic case of overreach. The organization Don’t Break What Works sent a statement to WPN criticizing the DOJ when it originally filed suit.

“The Department of Justice, like the Federal Trade Commission, is oddly committed to bringing cases that seek to diminish some of America’s most innovative companies – harming powerful drivers of our economy, job creators, and providers of products and services that people love. Today, Apple is the most recent target despite a years-long investigation which now provides little evidence of wrongdoing,” said Chandler Smith Costello, a spokeswoman for the Don’t Break What Works campaign.

“If successful, this lawsuit would curtail the privacy and security of Apple products and make it more difficult for them to work seamlessly with each other. It’s hard to see how this enforcement action is a win for consumers,” she continued.

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