Sen. Elizabeth Warren wants to “break Apple’s smartphone monopoly.” (Herald document photo)
Sen. Elizabeth Warren says she’s not a fan of the “green text on the iPhone” and says it’s “time to break Apple’s smartphone monopoly,” but statistics show the tech giant is losing ground in the market. does not have exclusive control over it.
In March, the Department of Justice announced a wide-ranging antitrust case against Apple, accusing the California-based company of creating an illegal smartphone monopoly that excluded competitors, stifled innovation, and kept prices artificially high. He accused him of orchestrating it.
Warren posted on social media this week.and how Apple shapes its technology and business relationships to “extract more money from consumers, developers, content creators, artists, publishers, small businesses, retailers and others, among others.” expressed support for this lawsuit, which is said to be based on
Warren specifically pointed out that people who don’t have an iPhone are blocked from sending blue iMessages because messages from Android and other devices are green. Those without iPhones also face other restrictions, the Massachusetts senator added.
“Green text on your iPhone ruins relationships. That’s right,” Warren said in a video posted on Thursday. “Non-iPhone users are excluded from group texts everywhere. From sports team chats to birthday chats to vacation planning chats, conversations are dying out.”
“So who’s to blame here? Apple,” she continued. “This is just one of the many dirty tactics Apple uses to keep the smartphone market strangled. … It’s time to break Apple’s monopoly.”
Critics quickly accused Warren of spreading misinformation and focusing on what they believe is not an issue.
“I wish Android users could use iMessage functionality,” said one X user. “But why do some people think this kind of corporate micromanagement is a legitimate role for government?”
The alert attached to Warren’s post provides context added by readers “that we thought people might want to know.” This includes data from Statista that highlights that as of January, the iPhone had a 57% market share in North America, compared to Android’s 42%.
The warning, which was removed as of Friday evening, also included information from Investopedia about “a monopoly indicating exclusive control or the absence of a similar substitute.” The current market share of iPhone and Android does not meet that definition. ”
Attorneys general from 16 states filed suit against the Department of Justice in federal court in New Jersey. Andrea Campbell of Massachusetts did not sign on to a lawsuit seeking to prevent Apple from infringing technology that competes with its apps in areas such as streaming, messaging and digital payments.
The case highlights the administration’s aggressive antitrust efforts, which also take on Google, Amazon, and other tech giants with the stated goal of making the digital world more fair, innovative, and competitive. This is the latest example of enforcement.
“If left unchecked, Apple will only continue to strengthen its smartphone monopoly,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement last month. “The Department of Justice will vigorously enforce antitrust laws that protect consumers from higher prices and fewer choices.”
Apple called the lawsuit “false on the facts and the law” and said it would “vigorously defend itself.”
If successful, the lawsuit would “hinder our ability to develop the kind of technology people expect from Apple at the intersection of hardware, software, and services” and “set a dangerous precedent that would allow governments to “This will give us more control over the design of our technology,” the company said in a statement last month.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
