If the Justice Department's lawsuit is successful, it could force the Tim Cook-led company to make major changes to its wildly successful business model.
At a press conference announcing the lawsuit, US Attorney General Merrick Garland said: “As stated in our complaint, Apple has this power in the smartphone market. If left unchallenged. Apple will only continue to strengthen its smartphone monopoly.”
Per The lipThe DOJ lawsuit accuses Apple of:
- Disruption of “super apps” that include many different programs and could undermine the “stickiness of iOS” by making it easier for iPhone users to switch to competing devices
- Blocking cloud streaming apps for things like video games which would reduce the need for more expensive hardware
- Suppression of message quality between the iPhone and competing platforms such as Android
- Limiting the functionality of third-party smartwatches with its iPhones and making it difficult for Apple Watch users to switch from the iPhone due to compatibility issues
- Block third-party developers from creating competing digital wallets with tap-to-pay functionality for iPhone
In a statement to CNBCApple disagreed with the lawsuit and said it would fight it.
A spokesperson for the tech giant said CNBC, “This lawsuit threatens who we are and the principles that set Apple products apart in fiercely competitive markets. If successful, it will 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 by allowing the government to take a heavy hand in designing people's technology.”
Android users are eating it all up over the claims they've been accusing Apple of for years.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
