A U.S. federal judge on Monday ruled that Apple must face a lawsuit from the Department of Justice (DOJ). The case accuses Apple of illegally holding a dominant position in the American smartphone market.

Judge Rejects Apple’s Dismissal Request

According to Reuters, the judge denied Apple’s request to dismiss the lawsuit. The DOJ, along with several U.S. states and Washington, DC, filed the case earlier. They claim Apple used restrictive policies to block competition and prevent users from easily switching to other smartphone brands.

DOJ Alleges Anti-Competitive Behavior

The lawsuit argues that Apple puts limits and fees on app developers. It also says Apple creates technical barriers to stop users from using third-party smartwatches, messaging services, and digital wallets. The DOJ believes these actions lock users into the Apple ecosystem and hurt overall competition in the market.

Apple Defends Its Practices

Apple has pushed back against these claims. A company spokesperson said the DOJ’s lawsuit is “wrong on the facts and the law,” and added that Apple would “continue to fight the case vigorously in court.” The company insists its policies protect users’ privacy, security, and experience.

Broader Crackdown on Big Tech

This case is part of a larger effort by U.S. regulators to challenge alleged monopolies by major tech companies. Meta, Amazon, and Alphabet (Google’s parent company) are also facing separate antitrust lawsuits over similar concerns about unfair control and lack of competition.