The US government has filed a lawsuit against Apple, alleging that the company is abusing its dominant market position to create a monopoly in the mobile payments industry. axios writes about this.
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The essence of the claim
- The government accuses the company of uses a number of rules to limit competition in the App Store. The company prohibits the publication of certain categories of applications, limits the payment system and creates artificial barriers to compatibility. Apple allegedly interferes with the development of cross-platform messaging systems, bans third-party game streaming services, and artificially limits the capabilities of the Apple Watch on Android. The company prohibits access to the NFC module for payments, forcing users to use Apple Pay, for which banks pay a fee. Apple has eliminated the ability of digital wallet developers to provide enhanced digital payment services.
Apple is allegedly using its monopoly to “knock out” payments from banks that want to cooperate with iPhone owners. This leads to lower prices for consumers and limited choice.
Apple's position
The company denies the allegations and says the lawsuit threatens its business and operating principles. Apple believes that the case sets a dangerous precedent for regulating technological development.
The company plans to actively defend itself in court.
Background
This is the third lawsuit by the US Department of Justice against Apple since 2009. Attorneys general of 17 states joined the lawsuit.
In early 2024, Apple, in order to avoid EU antitrust charges, provided third-party vendors with access to NFC.