Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes and 15 other state and district attorneys general have joined the U.S. Department of Justice in a civil antitrust lawsuit against Apple for monopolization or attempted monopolization of smartphone markets.

The complaint, filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, alleges that Apple illegally maintains a monopoly over smartphones by selectively imposing contractual restrictions on and withholding critical access points from developers.

Apple undermines apps, products and services that would otherwise make users less reliant on the iPhone, promote interoperability and lower costs for consumers and developers, the complaint alleges.

“Apple has used its monopoly power to block competition, stifle innovation and extract higher prices from consumers,” Mayes said in a release.

“No company, even one as big as Apple, is above the law. Apple’s anticompetitive behavior has violated antitrust law and harmed consumers.”

The lawsuit is the latest example of the Justice Department’s approach to aggressive enforcement of federal antitrust law that officials say is aimed at ensuring a fair and competitive market, even as it has lost some significant anticompetition cases.

Apple called the lawsuit “wrong on the facts and the law” and said it “will vigorously defend against it.

“At Apple, we innovate every day to make technology people love — designing products that work seamlessly together, protect people’s privacy and security and create a magical experience for our users,” the company said in a statement.

“This lawsuit threatens who we are and the principles that set Apple products apart in fiercely competitive markets.”

Mayes said “holding Apple accountable is critical to ensuring a competitive market where innovation can flourish and consumers can access a wide range of affordable products and services.

“Fair competition protects consumer choice and encourages innovation, leading to better products and services for everyone.”

Independent Newsmedia contributed to this story.

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