US Sues Apple in Antitrust Case Over iPhone
- Federal complaint alleges company has thwarted innovation
- Suit comes as EU gears up to announce compliance probes
The suit marks the culmination of a five-year probe into the world’s second-most-valuable technology company.
Photographer: Leon Neal/Getty ImagesThe US Justice Department and 16 attorneys general sued Apple Inc., accusing the iPhone maker of violating antitrust laws by blocking rivals from accessing hardware and software features on its popular devices.
The suit, filed Thursday in New Jersey federal court, marks the culmination of a five-year probe into the world’s second-most-valuable technology company. The Biden administration has made competition a cornerstone of its economic policy, with Silicon Valley becoming a key focus. And it comes as the European Commission is gearing up to announce probes into compliance with the Digital Markets Act — the European Union’s new gatekeeper rules for Big Tech — by Apple and Alphabet Inc.’s Google.