On the heels of a massive antitrust case filed by the U.S. Justice Department and 15 states last week, tech giant Apple faces new consumer lawsuits that allege the company monopolizes the smartphone market. At least three class action lawsuits, representing millions of consumers, have been filed in California and New Jersey federal courts since last Friday, and they accuse Apple of inflating costs through anticompetitive business strategies.
The Justice Department’s lawsuit is similar, stating that Apple infringed on U.S. antitrust laws by inhibiting technology for messaging apps and digital wallets, among other ventures. Apple denies the allegations.
Law firm Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro, which filed one of the latest lawsuits, previously sued Apple for suppressing competition for its Apple Pay mobile wallet. “We are pleased that the DOJ agrees with our approach,” said attorney Steve Berman.
Apple also faces private lawsuits stating its business practices are anticompetitive. Additionally, a judge ruled in February that the Cupertino, California-based company must face a class action case that claims it monopolized the market for iPhone apps.
