Apple is facing a class action lawsuit for allegedly conspiring with PayPal and Block to monopolize the peer-to-peer payment system within the iOS operating system.
Last month, attorneys Yavar Bathaee, Andrew C. Wolinsky, Brian J. Dunne and Edward M. Grauman, of the firm of Bathaee Dunne LLP, of New York and Austin, filed suit in San Jose federal court, on behalf of named plaintiffs Lamartine Pierre, of Valley Stream, New York; Mark Whitlock, of Little River, South Carolina; Lynn-Marie Rodrigues, of Waianae, Hawaii; and Marissa Williams, of of Fayetteville, Georgia.
According to the lawsuit, Apple allegedly restricted access to its App Store for payment processing and money transfer apps, allegedly forcing customers to pay more to use Venmo, which is operated by PayPal, and Cash App, which is owned by Block.
According to the complaint, fees to use Apple Cash, Venmo and Cash App have all increased "in lockstep" in recent years. And at the same time, Apple allegedly "ejected" competitors from the App Store who charged less or used competing technology.
They claim that Apple's alleged actions violate federal antitrust law by artificially restraining competition in support of artificially higher prices.
The lawsuit seeks to include a class of all Apple iPhone users throughout the U.S. who processed payments on their phones through Venmo or Cash App since November 2019.
The lawsuit seeks trebled damages on behalf of plaintiffs and the class, plus a court order forcing Apple to remedy its alleged anticompetitive conduct.