Only a day after the U.S. Department of Justice filed an omnibus antitrust lawsuit against Apple, consumers filed a trio of class-action lawsuits for allegedly monopolizing the smartphone market.
The DOJ filed its antitrust lawsuit against Apple as of March 20, following a five-year investigation into the company’s business practices. Almost immediately after, at least three attempted class-action lawsuits have been filed in California and New Jersey since the DoJ’s own lawsuit, according to Reuters. Filed in federal courts, the lawsuits accuse Apple of violating antitrust laws, and fundamentally costing consumers money.
The suits cover a range of topics, alleging that Apple suppressed technologies for messaging apps, wallets, and similar functions and features, and that had it had made them more open, Apple could’ve increased competition in the smartphone market. As such, Apple allegedly allowed the cost of products and services to inflate.
While Apple has not responded to the report’s request for comment.
Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro, a law firm behind one of the new suits, claimed it was “pleased that the DOJ agrees with our approach.” The firm previously sued Apple over anti-competitive behavior over its mobile wallet, and previously reached settlements with Apple over App Store policies and eBook pricing.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via AppleInsider and Reuters