Apple, the multinational tech giant, has recently become the subject of multiple lawsuits from its iPhone clients. This comes on the heels of a significant antitrust suit filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and 15 states.
During the past week, Apple has found itself on the receiving end of numerous consumer lawsuits. The plaintiffs, iPhone users, accuse the company of monopolizing the smartphone market. These legal actions mirror the DOJ’s case and are based on claims that Apple’s anticompetitive tactics have unfairly inflated the cost of its products.
Several proposed class actions have already been filed in federal courts in California and New Jersey. These cases represent millions of iPhone owners who allege that Apple’s anticompetitive behavior has led to inflated prices.
The consumer lawsuits echo the DOJ’s allegations that Apple violated US antitrust law. They argue that Apple stifled technology for messaging apps, digital wallets, and other features that could have increased competition in the smartphone market.
Apple has vehemently denied the allegations made by the government. However, the Cupertino, California-based company has not yet responded to the consumer lawsuits.
Noted attorney Steve Berman, from law firm Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro, was among the first to file one of the new cases. In the past, his firm sued Apple for purportedly stifling competition for its Apple Pay mobile wallet. Speaking about the recent lawsuits, Berman said, “We are pleased that the DOJ (Department of Justice) agrees with our approach.”
“We are pleased that the DOJ (Department of Justice) agrees with our approach.” – Steve Berman
Apple is no stranger to legal battles over its business practices. Earlier this year, a judge ruled that Apple must face a class action on behalf of millions of consumers claiming it monopolized the market for iPhone apps. Apple denies these claims.
In the past, Hagens Berman secured combined settlements amounting to $550 million from Apple. These were related to separate cases concerning Apple’s ebook pricing and App Store policies.
A 2022 study by a law professor at the University of Buffalo law school found that private antitrust class actions can sometimes have a greater impact than government cases. They can expand “the scope of wrongdoing, the amount of recovery, or the number of defendants involved.”
