The U.S. Department of Justice and 16 state and district attorneys general jointly filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple, accusing it of illegally monopolizing the smartphone market.
The U.S. Department of Justice says its goal is to “free the smartphone market from Apple’s anti-competitive and exclusionary conduct and restore healthy competition,” but Apple has a different view, arguing that the purpose of the lawsuit is to turn the iPhone into an Android phone.
Apple representatives said the Justice Department lawsuit was essentially an attempt to make iPhones look and operate like Android devices, a move that would actually harm competition.
Apple argued that bringing more Android-like features to the iPhone would actually reduce consumer choice. Apple also tried to guide public opinion, saying that one of the iPhone’s strengths is its privacy and security, and that if the Justice Department wins the case, Apple will have to make major concessions in this regard.
