Current location:world >>
U.S. Justice Department sues Apple for alleged monopoly in smartphone markets
world875People have gathered around
IntroductionWASHINGTON, March 21 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Justice Department, along with 16 other state and district ...
WASHINGTON, March 21 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Justice Department, along with 16 other state and district attorneys general, on Thursday filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Apple, accusing the tech giant of illegally maintaining a monopoly over smartphones.
"Apple has maintained monopoly power in the smartphone market not simply by staying ahead of the competition on the merits, but by violating federal antitrust law," Attorney General Merrick Garland said at a press conference in Washington, D.C.
"We allege that Apple has employed a strategy that relies on exclusionary, anticompetitive conduct that hurts both consumers and developers," said Garland. "Consumers should not have to pay higher prices because companies break the law."
The attorney general said Apple carries out its exclusionary, anticompetitive conduct in two principal ways: First, Apple imposes contractual restrictions and fees that limit the features and functionality that developers can offer iPhone users.
Second, Apple selectively restricts access to the points of connection between third-party apps and the iPhone's operating system, degrading the functionality of non-Apple apps and accessories.
Additionally, iPhone users perceive rival smartphones as being lower quality because the experience of messaging friends and family who do not own iPhones is worse -- "even though Apple is the one responsible for breaking cross-platform messaging," he said.
Apple has justified its practice of regulating downloads through the App Store, arguing that it is essential for maintaining the iPhone's security by minimizing the risk of viruses and fraudulent activities.
Tech giants have been facing growing scrutiny in recent years. After a 16-month investigation into Apple, Amazon, Facebook (now Meta) and Google, the antitrust subcommittee under the House Judiciary Committee released a report in October 2020, arguing that the four Big Tech companies enjoy monopoly power and need more government regulation.
The lawsuit against Apple marks the latest action taken by U.S. antitrust authorities against the "Big Four". Antitrust regulators have also filed antimonopoly lawsuits against the other three.
(Editor:Fu Bo)
Tags:
Reprint:Friends are welcome to share on the Internet, but please indicate the source of the article when reprinting it.“Culture Circuit news portal”。http://britishindianoceanterritory.tom-paine.com/html-51c599909.html
Related articles
Uber and Lyft say they'll stay in Minnesota after Legislature passes driver pay compromise
worldST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Uber and Lyft plan to keep operating in Minnesota after the state Legislature ...
【world】
Read moreAcrobatic rendition of The Swan Lake staged in Fuzhou
worldPhoto taken on Jan. 13, 2021 shows a scene from an acrobatic rendition of "The Swan Lake" staged at ...
【world】
Read moreZoom in on beautiful Fenghuang Town
worldPhoto taken on Feb. 16, 2021 shows the beautiful view of the Fenghuang Town in Xiangxi Tujia and Mia ...
【world】
Read more
Popular articles
- ‘The Blue Angels,’ filmed for IMAX, puts viewers in the ‘box’ with the elite flying squad
- Xinhua Headlines: Xi, Lula Map out Future China
- Flowers seen in suburb forest of Minsk
- China strives to build stronger rural tourism
- Philippines blames China for loss of giant clams in disputed shoal and urges environmental inquiry
- Night tourism flourishes in Shaanxi's Xi'an
Latest articles
Investigators return to Long Island home of Gilgo Beach serial killing suspect
Wintersweet flowers seen in Xi'an, northwest China
Sunrise scene in east China's Jiangsu
Tourism in Tibet expected to witness notable boom
Iran helicopter crash that killed President Raisi could reverberate across the Middle East
Fishermen harvest sea cucumbers in NE China
LINKS
- World Bank, Ethiopia sign 1.72
- China's Queqiao
- China's industrial profits up 4.3 pct in Q1
- Australian prime minister describes domestic violence as a 'national crisis'
- Senior CPC official meets Australian, Malaysian officials
- Winning farewell for China at U23 Asian Cup
- China hopes US can view China's development in positive light: Xi
- China's Queqiao
- Former Jets offensive tackle Mekhi Becton agrees to 1
- China's cultural relics repatriation drive gains momentum as 38 artifacts return