Indiana joins Justice Department antitrust lawsuit against Apple – Indianapolis News | Weather in Indiana

WASHINGTON (WISH) — The attorneys general of Indiana and three other states joined Tuesday in an antitrust lawsuit filed in March against Apple, the U.S. Department of Justice says.

As reported in March on WISHTV.com, the lawsuit filed in federal court in New Jersey alleged that Apple has monopoly power in the smartphone market and is using its control of the iPhone to “engage in a broad, sustained and illegal course of conduct.”

Deputy Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s antitrust division said in a statement: “We welcome the states of Indiana, Massachusetts, Nevada and Washington as they join our existing coalition to restore competition in the smartphone markets monopolized by Apple. We look forward to resolving this important case with our state partners to ensure the benefits of competition for consumers, app developers, accessory makers and the American public.”

Apple called the lawsuit “inconsistent with the facts and the law” and said it would “strongly defend itself against it.”

“At Apple, we innovate every day to make people love technology – designing products that work seamlessly together, protect people’s privacy and security, and deliver magical experiences for our users,” the company said in a statement. “This lawsuit threatens who we are and the principles that distinguish Apple products in extremely competitive markets.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.