U.S. hits Apple with landmark antitrust suit, accusing tech giant of stifling competition

Washington — Apple Inc., one of the world's most valuable and influential companies, illegally engaged in anti-competitive behavior in an effort to build a "moat around its smartphone monopoly" and maximize its profits, the Justice Department alleged in a blockbuster antitrust lawsuit filed Thursday.

In the suit filed in federal district court in New Jersey, the Justice Department accused the company of using app development rules, iPhone features and hardware that customers use every day — including iMessage, Apple Wallet and smartwatches — to thwart competition and expand its business by charging higher prices. Fifteen states . . .