Apple accused of monopolizing smartphone markets in US antitrust lawsuit
THE U.S. Department of Justice and 15 states sued Apple alleging it used the powerful demand for its iPhone and other products to drive up prices for its services and hurt smaller rivals, the latest move in a U.S. crackdown on Big Tech. Apple joins corporate rivals sued by U.S. regulators, including Alphabet's Google, Meta Platforms and Amazon.com across the administrations of both former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden. "Consumers should not have to pay higher prices because companies violate the antitrust laws," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. "If left unchallenged, Apple will only continue to strengthen its smartphone monopoly."…