Today, the U.S. Department of Justice has officially filed a lawsuit against Apple Inc. accusing the company of running a smartphone monopoly as clearly shown by the current situation in the European Union where Apple is under fire for similar anti-trust violations.

The lawsuit joined by sixteen state and district attorneys general has Apple under scrutiny for several issues, including restrictions to the operating system causing increased costs for consumers and developers alike.

The civil suit surfaces concerns over Apple’s restrictions hindering Cloud Streaming applications, Cross-Platform Messaging applications, and apps that allow users to easily switch from one platform to another.

Apple has also issued a statement in which the company defends its position claiming the lawsuit is wrong and threatens to hinder Apple’s capacity to build the products it currently builds with the current quality expectations.

Apple also points out the fact that the lawsuit starts a concerning precedent where governments intervene in a controlling manner in the progress and development of technology.

Here’s Apple’s full statement regarding the lawsuit:

At Apple, we innovate every day to make technology people love —designing products that work seamlessly together, protect people’s privacy and security, and create a magical experience for our users,” it said. “This lawsuit threatens who we are and the principles that set Apple products apart in fiercely competitive markets. 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. We believe this lawsuit is wrong on the facts and the law, and we will vigorously defend against it.

Apple Inc.

Apple is not the only company under fire

This action appears to be one of many as Biden’s Administration is slowly cracking down on monopolistic behavior from tech giants such as Google and Apple.

Google is also under fire for monopolizing the digital advertising market in a lawsuit already filed by the U.S. Department of Justice.

In Europe, the changes in the legal landscape regarding monopolistic behavior already have Apple allowing third-party App Stores to exist, enabling sideloading starting with iOS 17.4, and finally allowing browsers to be more than simple WebKit clones.

It’s also thanks to the E.U. challenging Apple’s behavior that in-app purchases can now be made outside the AppStore in Europe.

If the lawsuit in the U.S. is successful, we can expect similar changes in the United States as well.

Credit: Photo by Andy Wang on Unsplash

More iDevice Central Guides

• iOS 17 Jailbreak RELEASED! How to Jailbreak iOS 17 with PaleRa1n
• Dopamine 2 Jailbreak IPA RELEASED For iOS 16.0 – 16.6.1
• Download iRemovalRa1n Jailbreak (CheckRa1n for Windows)
• Dopamine Jailbreak (Fugu15 Max) Release Is Coming Soon for iOS 15.0 – 15.4.1 A12+
• Cowabunga Lite For iOS 16.2 – 16.4 Released in Beta! Install Tweaks and Themes Without Jailbreak
• Fugu15 Max Jailbreak: All Confirmed Working Rootless Tweaks List
• iOS 14.0 – 16.1.2 – All MacDirtyCow Tools IPAs
• iOS Jailbreak Tools for All iOS Versions