A class-action lawsuit has been filed against the giants of technology, Apple, contending that the company has deliberately limited the use of peer-to-peer payment options on its devices. According to the complainants, Apple has also stymied crypto technology in iOS payment applications.
The legal complaint tabled on November 17th in a Californian court suggested that Apple had drawn up anti-competitive agreements with two popular payment platforms: PayPal’s Venmo and Block’s Cash App. The complainants argue that these agreements constrained the integration of decentralized crypto technology in payment apps, compelling users to stomach rapidly increasing prices.
The plaintiffs claim further that Apple imposes both technological and contractual constraints, including obligatory exclusivity to the App Store and web browser technology limitations. As a result of these constraints, Apple wields supreme control over every app downloaded and operated on its array of iPhones and iPads.
The lawsuit also asserts that Apple obliges new iOS peer-to-peer payment apps to proscribe the use of crypto as a pre-entry condition. The complainants, who identify as patrons unjustly subjected to excessive fees due to Apple’s trade restrictions, are seeking reparations and an injunction barring Apple from sustaining any such anti-competitive agreements.
This 58-page class-action lawsuit outlines the history and growth of peer-to-peer payment apps and decentralized cryptocurrencies, alongside Apple’s penetration into this market. It’s important to note that earlier this year, the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit already ruled that Apple’s prohibition on apps directing users to non-Apple linked payment solutions, violated California’s competition laws.