United States District Judge Vince Chhabria has dismissed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple filed by customers of Venmo and Cash App.
The lawsuit, filed in San Jose on November 17, 2023, accused Apple of engaging in anti-competitive practices within the iOS App Store. Plaintiffs alleged that Apple's restrictive policies prevented competitors from implementing features like decentralized cryptocurrency payments, which affected pricing and functionality for users.
On March 26, 2024, Judge Chhabria dismissed the case, citing several critical flaws in the complaint. He noted the plaintiffs' failure to adequately outline Apple's alleged antitrust actions and questioned why other payment services like Zelle were not included in the complaint. This raised concerns about the completeness of the plaintiffs' critique of Apple's competitive behavior.
Apple's Policy and the Analysis of Complaints
Following the dismissal of the lawsuit against Apple, the plaintiffs have been granted a 21-day window to file an amended complaint, potentially reopening the case.
However, the judge's comments and the likelihood of having to address identified deficiencies suggest a challenging path ahead for the plaintiffs. The judge cautioned that the issues highlighted in the ruling may not encompass all the concerns raised in the complaint, hinting at potential additional obstacles for the plaintiffs.
The dismissal of the antitrust lawsuit against Apple raises broader questions about app store policies, competition dynamics, and the integration of innovative payment technologies.
March 2024, Cryptoniteuae