The US Department of Justice filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple, accusing it of engaging in anti-competitive conduct that hurts both consumers and developers.

“Consumers should not have to pay higher prices because companies violate the antitrust laws,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.

Merrick said that the company carries out anti-competitive behaviour in two visible ways. Firstly, by imposing contractual restrictions and fees that limit the features and functionality developers can offer iPhone users. Secondly, that “Apple selectively restricts access to the points of connection between third party apps and the iPhones operating system, degrading the functionality of non-Apple apps and accessories”.

Apple has denied the allegations made by the government. The company sees the lawsuit as a threat to the principles that set its products apart in what it markets it describes as “fiercely competitive”.