Connecticut, along with the U.S. Department of Justice and 15 other states, has filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Apple Inc. for monopolizing smartphone markets in violation of the Sherman Act. The complaint alleges Apple engages in anticompetitive conduct such as blocking innovative apps, suppressing cloud streaming services, and limiting interoperability to maintain its monopoly and impose high costs on consumers and developers. The plaintiffs seek equitable relief to restore competition.
The lawsuit seeks equitable relief, including injunctions, to end Apple's anticompetitive conduct and restore competition in smartphone markets, but no specific remedies have been imposed at this time.
In-house legal teams should review all vendor and developer agreements, particularly those governing app distribution, platform access, and interoperability. Focus on clauses that impose restrictions on cross-platform functionality, mandate exclusive use of Apple's services or payment systems, define relevant markets in a way that reinforces monopoly power, or contain MFN provisions that prevent more favorable terms with competitors. Changes may be needed to remove or modify anticompetitive restrictions, ensure fair access to essential interfaces and tools, and allow developers and consumers greater freedom to choose alternative products and services without penalty.
Entity
Apple Inc.
Also known as: Apple
Industry
TechnologyOfficial Press Release
https://portal.ct.gov/ag/press-releases/2024-press-releases/connecticut-joins-justice-department-suing-apple-for-monopolizing-smartphone-markets
apple file stamped complaint 32124.pdf?rev=e1b87aa808be4d67a
https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/ag/press_releases/2024/apple-file-stamped-complaint-32124.pdf?rev=e1b87aa808be4d67a5d3af801268c95a&hash=3EE6438399E31E69C7CB721D13456421
Connecticut Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://portal.ct.gov/AG/Privacy/Privacy-Resources
$150K
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin announced a settlement with Apple Inc. over allegations of widespread merchandise pricing violations at 11 Apple stores statewide, including failure to display required pricing information and refund policies. Apple agreed to pay a $150,000 civil penalty, the largest-ever under New Jersey's Merchandise Pricing Act, and implement revised business practices to ensure clear pricing and refund policy disclosures. The settlement resolves violations of the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act and the 2017 consent order previously entered into by Apple.
On May 11, 2026, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong led a bipartisan coalition of 21 attorneys general in submitting a comment letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urging the agency to abandon draft guidance that would ease approvals for flavored e-cigarette products. The coalition argues the guidance ignores evidence that flavored e-cigarettes disproportionately drive youth addiction and that FDA has failed to enforce existing authorization requirements for e-cigarette products. The letter references past tobacco and e-cigarette enforcement actions, including the 1998 tobacco master settlement agreement and the 2022 $438.5 million settlement with JUUL Labs.
Connecticut’s legislature passed House Bill 5312, creating new civil enforcement mechanisms for deepfake digital sexual assault, including unauthorized dissemination of synthetically created intimate images and AI-generated child pornography. The bill establishes a private right of action for victims and empowers the Connecticut Attorney General to pursue civil injunctions and penalties against abusers and platforms hosting illegal content. This builds on prior Connecticut laws criminalizing unauthorized intimate image dissemination.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong praised final passage of House Bill 5312, which creates new civil enforcement mechanisms for deepfake digital sexual assault. The legislation allows the AG to pursue civil injunctions and penalties against platforms that disseminate illegal synthetic intimate images, including AI-generated child pornography, and establishes a private right of action for victims. The bill builds on prior Connecticut laws criminalizing unauthorized dissemination of intimate images.
$300K
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a settlement with international trade platform Made-in-China to cease all U.S. sales of unlawful 'research grade' GLP-1 weight loss drugs following an investigation into direct sales to consumers without prescriptions or medical oversight. The settlement prohibits the platform from hosting GLP-1 sales to U.S. customers, requires a monitoring system to remove non-compliant listings, and imposes a $300,000 penalty suspended after an initial $30,000 payment. Additional settlements were announced with Radiance Medspa and Advanced Medical Weight Loss over compounded non-FDA approved GLP-1 drugs.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong issued a statement on May 1, 2026, announcing the final passage of bipartisan legislation targeting youth social media addiction and artificial intelligence harms. The legislation imposes new obligations on social media companies regarding minor account settings, parental consent, and reporting, as well as requirements for AI chatbot operators and employers using automated decision tools. The statement also references ongoing enforcement actions against Meta and TikTok for allegedly designing addictive platform features for youth.