The Case Against Apple's Alleged Monopolistic Behavior

The US government's antitrust suit against Apple focuses on the tech giant's allegedly monopolistic practices that lock in iPhone customers and undermine competing apps. For instance, Apple's proprietary messaging protocol, iMessage, excludes Android users from certain features, leading to a perceived lower quality of non-Apple smartphones. The lawsuit argues that Apple intentionally degrades the quality of third-party apps and reinforces social stigma against non-iPhone users by distinguishing iPhone messages in blue bubbles and Android messages in green bubbles. These actions are claimed to increase switching costs, making it challenging for consumers to switch from iPhones.