In a significant turn of events, the US Department of Justice (DOJ), along with 16 state and district attorneys general, has launched a hefty antitrust lawsuit against tech giant Apple Inc., accusing it of operating an illegal monopoly in the smartphone market. The DOJ alleges that Apple's monopolistic practices are driving up prices for consumers and developers, making users more dependent on its devices, reducing competition and stifling innovation in the process.

The lawsuit argues that Apple's strategy of locking customers into its iPhones with a web of contractual restrictions has allowed it to extract higher prices and fees. Jonathan Kanter, Chief of the DOJ Antitrust Division, likened Apple's practices to a game of 'Whac-A-Mole', where new rules and restrictions are constantly put in place to suppress and hinder competitive alternatives.

Apple has been accused of selectively imposing contractual restrictions on developers and withholding critical ways of accessing the phone as a means to stifle competition. The authorities have requested the court to prevent Apple from using its control of app distribution to undermine cross-platform technologies, stop it from using private APIs to disrupt technologies like messaging, smartwatches, and digital wallets, and end its use of contract terms to maintain its alleged monopoly.

Apple has defended its position, with spokesperson Fred Sainz stating that the lawsuit threatens their ability to create the technology people expect from the brand. The company plans to vigorously defend itself and has shared plans to move to dismiss the case.

This legal battle comes on the heels of the DOJ antitrust suits against Google, marking a significant shift in tech monopolization cases since the landmark Microsoft lawsuit at the turn of the century.