Apple is facing a range of new consumer lawsuits, which allege the company have been monopolising the smartphone market.
These lawsuits follow right behind an antitrust case lodged by the US Justice Department and 15 states last week.
A minimum of three proposed class actions have been filed in California and New Jersey federal courts. These have been filed by iPhone owners claiming the company inflated product costs through anticompetitive conduct.
They are attempting to represent millions of consumers, and mirror the claims of the Justice Department, which state Apple violated US antitrust law.
All allegations have been denied by the company.
Steve Berman, an attorney for Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro law firm, filed one of the new lawsuits, and he revealed his firm has previously sued Apple for allegedly preventing competition for its Apple Wallet.
“We are pleased that the DOJ (Department of Justice) agrees with our approach.”
The company is currently fighting multiple lawsuits that challenge its business practices as anticompetitive.
Back in February, a judge ruled they must face a class action on behalf of millions of consumers over monopolising the market. Apple has denied these claims too.
Hagens Berman received a combined U$550 million in settlements from Apple in various cases.
A study conducted in 2022 found private antitrust class actions can sometimes go on longer than government cases, increasing “the scope of wrongdoing, the amount of recovery, or the number of defendants involved.”
