DOJ’s Apple Lawsuit Is Significant Step To Rein in Corporate Misconduct

Today, the Department of Justice (DOJ) sued Apple for alleged anti-competitive practices in the smartphone market.

Lisa Gilbert, the executive vice president of Public Citizen, issued the following statement in response:

“The Justice Department alleges that Apple uses numerous unlawful tools to lock its customers into using its products and force competitors out of the market — stifling innovation, hurting workers, and increasing costs for consumers. If the allegations are proven true, this lawsuit will be crucial to ensure that Apple does not create a smartphone monopoly.

“With this lawsuit, the Justice Department and 16 attorneys general have taken a significant step to rein in alleged rampant corporate misconduct that, if true, hurts consumers. The allegations suggest that Apple is not dominating due to the superiority of its products, but as a result of exclusionary behavior intended to tighten its grip on the smartphone market, including degrading non-Apple smart watches, making it harder to message non-Apple smartphones, limiting third party digital wallets, and more.

“Public Citizen applauds this move from the DOJ to make clear that, no matter how popular, no company is above the law.”