Apple has been hit with a wave of new consumer lawsuits accusing the iPhone maker of monopolizing the smartphone market, taking advantage of a massive antitrust suit filed last week by the Justice Department and 15 states. There is.
At least three class-action lawsuits have been filed since Friday. California and new jersey iPhone owners have filed a lawsuit in federal court alleging that Apple has used anticompetitive practices to hike up the prices of their products.
The lawsuits, on behalf of millions of consumers, allege Apple violated U.S. antitrust laws by stifling technology in messaging apps, digital wallets and other items that increase competition in the smartphone market. This reflects the Department of Justice’s assertion that the
Apple denied the government’s claims. The Cupertino, California-based company did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the consumer lawsuit.
Attorney Steve Berman and his law firm Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro It has been submitted One of the new lawsuits notes that his company previously sued Apple for interfering with competition for its Apple Pay mobile wallet.
“We are pleased that the DOJ agrees with our approach,” Berman said.
Lawyers in other new cases did not respond to requests for comment.
Apple is already fighting a private lawsuit alleging its business practices are anticompetitive. A judge ruled in February that Apple must file a class action lawsuit on behalf of millions of consumers accusing it of monopolizing the iPhone app market. Apple denies this claim.
Hagens Berman previously secured a total of $550 million in settlements from Apple in separate matters related to e-book pricing and app store policies.
2022 study According to a professor at the University at Buffalo School of Law, private antitrust class actions can sometimes go further than government actions, expanding “the scope of wrongdoing, the amount of damages, and the number of defendants involved.” It turns out it’s possible.
