Apple, one of the world's richest companies, is now under fire from the U.S. government. The Department of Justice and 16 states filed a lawsuit against the Silicon Valley giant on Thursday, accusing the company of abusing its power as a monopoly to edge out rivals and ensure customers keep using its products.
Apple is worth nearly $3 trillion, making it one of the highest valued companies in the world. And its iPhone is one of the most popular phones on earth, dominating the global market, according to"Consumers should not have to pay higher prices because companies violate the antitrust laws," said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland."If left unchallenged, Apple will only continue to strengthen its smartphone monopoly.
Because of these restrictions, the Justice Departments says Apple has been able to block innovation in super apps with a broad functionality and has ensured its iMessage system keeps people from using cross-platform messaging apps.