The U.S. Department of Justice lawyers are drafting an antitrust lawsuit against Apple, as per a new report. An investigation has been going on into the company’s policies and practices, which could result in a lawsuit soon.
Antitrust lawsuit against Apple in the works
As per a report by Politico, prosecutors in the U.S. Department of Justice are working towards an antitrust lawsuit, which could potentially be filed by the end of this year. However, no concrete decisions have been made yet, and it is possible that no case could be filed in the future.
If a case is indeed filed, Apple will join its competitors like Mega and Google, who are already facing antitrust lawsuits in different states in the United States.
Apple has been under investigation since 2019 by the Department of Justice due to alleged abuse through its market position which is used to stifle competition including app developers. An investigation does not always result in a lawsuit but it seems likely, considering that other tech giants are also facing such cases. Amazon is yet another tech giant which is in the crosshairs of the Department of Justice for its cloud computing and retail businesses.
This would not be the first time that Apple would face a lawsuit due to its App Store policies. The company battled against Epic Games in court last year due to the commission it charges developers for publishing games in the App Store. The outcome of that court case resulted in the judge ruling in favor of Apple, as Epic Games was found to have breached its contract with the Cupertino giant.
The investigation by the Department of Justice has primarily focused on Apple’s App Store and its lack of alternative payment methods and commissions that developers have often complained about. The investigation is also focusing on Apple’s control over its hardware, which allegedly stifles competitors. Tile, an AirTags competitor, has previously equated Apple’s Find My app to a ‘hostage’ program, during a Senate antitrust hearing.
Politico says that the timing of the potential DOJ case against Apple would depend on Epic’s appeal. The outcome of that appeal in court could dictate how the DOJ moves ahead with the antitrust lawsuit.
