U.S. Department of Justice Likely to File Antitrust Lawsuit Against Apple

[MacRumors]

The United States Department of Justice is accelerating its antitrust probe into Apple and there is increased likelihood that Apple will face an antitrust lawsuit, reports The Information.

Citing internal sources with knowledge of the investigation, The Information says there has been a "flurry" of activity as the DOJ has continued to question Apple, its customers, and its competitors about Apple's control over the iPhone. The DOJ sent new subpoenas to Apple's business partners over the summer, and has assigned more staff to the probe.

Specifics have yet to be nailed down, but The Information's sources believe that the investigation will lead to a lawsuit. Apple has been under investigation by the DOJ for two years now, and the probe is part of a broad investigation that has seen the Justice Department looking into Apple, Google, Facebook, and Amazon.

The DOJ has spoken with Apple critics that include Spotify, Match Group, Basecamp, and Tile, all companies unhappy with Apple's App Store policies and control.

Attorneys involved in the probe will eventually give the Department of Justice a recommendation on whether or not to file a lawsuit against Apple, but no formal recommendation has been made at this point in time, and there's still a possibility that no case will be filed as the investigation is ongoing.

Apple recently came out largely ahead in its lawsuit with Epic Games and the judge decided that Apple had not violated U.S. antitrust law, but The Information's sources say that the DOJ's investigation is broader because it is also examining issues like Sign in With Apple, App Tracking Transparency, and location tracking restrictions, so the Epic loss will not hinder a potential DOJ case.

Article Link: U.S. Department of Justice Likely to File Antitrust Lawsuit Against Apple

 

[WiseAJ]

Whiner's gonna whine. No Anti-Trust to see here. Stop wasting time and government resources on this witch hunt. There are more important people to go after, DOJ, that are actually guilty.

 

[tritian]

Meanwhile Facebook destroys democracy.

 

[Realityck]

The DOJ has spoken with Apple critics that include Spotify, Match Group, Basecamp, and Tile, all companies unhappy with Apple's App Store policies and control.

Apple just needs to just match what Google did recently for subscriptions to hush these guys up. I really don't want DOJ dictating technology usage rules.

 

[DelayedGratificationGene]

Agreed. Stop wasting taxpayer money. There is no antitrust here. Success is not illegal. Apple innovation has created millions of jobs so please stop with the nonsense already.

 

[ponzicoinbro]

The iPhone is Apple’s product. It’s not up to anyone else to crack it open and fiddle around with it and make users unsafe.

Sony had a global monopoly with the Walkman and nobody took action on them. They also become one of the big players in the video and film industry. Where are they now? Something better came along and they couldn’t compete in the portable space.

If the Justice Department want to do something serious they should be using all their resources against unregulated ponzi scams and manipulated markets that are making some very dangerous and extremist people rich and they will use their wealth to finance terrorist white supremacists, mafias and coup d’etat wherever they reach.

 

[DelayedGratificationGene]

Apple needs to just match what Google did for subscriptions to hush these guys up. I really don't want DOJ dictating technology usage rules.

No one wants theses clueless individuals messing with the iPhone. 1b+ people say…”get lost!”

 

[WiseAJ]

Apple just needs to just match what Google did recently for subscriptions to hush these guys up. I really don't want DOJ dictating technology usage rules.

If Apple was really Anti-Trust they would have just kicked them all off the platform by now. But no they let them compete against them and let them have access to their customers to make money.

 

[Naraxus]

Good. Apple has a stranglehold over iOS that is LONG overdue for antitrust scrutiny & legislative action. Apple's monopoly needs to end

 

[Red Oak]

Of course the Epic case will have an impact on whether the DOJ pursues a case. Apple was declared "not" a monopoly in a court of law. That sets back anything the DOJ will try to bring forward

 

[WiseAJ]

Good. Apple has a stranglehold over iOS that is LONG overdue for antitrust scrutiny & legislative action. Apple's monopoly needs to end

What monopoly? Apple has no monopoly on any product they sell.

 

[ChrisBos]

The Information's sources say that the DOJ's investigation is broader because it is also examining issues like Sign in With Apple, App Tracking Transparency, and location tracking restrictions

I can maybe see the gripe with being forced into offering Sign in With Apple (where applicable), but any company that has an issue with tracking transparency or location tracking restrictions is not a company you want on your phone.

 

[RVijay007]

Platform technologies need to be regulated as a form of "monopolistic practices", that squeeze both sides of the ecosystem (creators and consumers) as added taxes. This is a new age since digital technology didn't exist when monopolies were defined in the past, and so the laws need to catch up to the new ways companies are developing themselves in anti-competitive ways.

 

[WiseAJ]

I can maybe see the gripe with Sign in With Apple, but any company that has an issue with tracking transparency or location permissions is not a company you want on your phone.

What's wrong with Sign in with Apple? They only require it if you also use other third party log in authenticators like Log in with Google/ Log in with Facebook. That's just providing the consumer with more choices instead of forcing them to have to use Facebook etc.

 

[SoN1NjA]

The iPhone is Apple’s product. It’s not up to anyone else to crack it open and fiddle around with it and make users unsafe.

You're not required to side load apps

 

[B4U]

Honest question.
Other than having physical game media, what is so different between video game consoles' online stores vs Apple's AppStore? ?
I can't sideload a game on the Nintendo Switch or Sony PS4 without using homebrew firmware, which is similar to jailbreaking an iPhone. Maybe the difference is about the in-app purchase?

 

[OwlBundy]

Meanwhile Facebook destroys democracy.

Depends who's is office determines which companies are targeted. Democrats have no reason to go after Facebook as they are on their side. If (when) republicans are back in office they will target social networks that have a perceived liberal agenda.

 

[Michael Scrip]

Sony had a global monopoly with the Walkman and nobody took action on them.

Did they?

I definitely remember other brands of portable cassette players when I was a kid. I had some of them.

And they could play tapes from any manufacturer. I could record a tape on my Sharp home stereo and play it back in my JVC portable or my Sanyo boombox.

 

[jz0309]

I am sure Apple is well aware of what is really going on re the DOJ investigation.
The source of this MR article "The Information" is a subscription service and I am not convinced they are more reliable than the various "leakers" that have provided false information ...

 

[Cosmosent]

Back in 1997 ?, when Microsoft had a Monopoly, they agreed to give Apple $150M USD to prop-up Apple & provide "perceived" viable competition.

I see a similar thing happening soon !

E.g., a NON-Game App "App Discovery" App Store that competes Head On with Apple's App Store !

 

[roar08]

Remember, you get what you vote for.

 

[ChrisBos]

What's wrong with Sign in with Apple? They only require it if you also use other third party log in authenticators like Log in with Google/ Log in with Facebook. That's just providing the consumer with more choices instead of forcing them to have to use Facebook etc.

Oh nothing is wrong with it IMO, I use it all the time. Just saying I can see why devs/companies could have a problem with Apple requiring it when they do. Original comment edited for clarity.

 

[Naraxus]

What monopoly? Apple has no monopoly on any product they sell.

Two Questions:

1. Where can I get apps for my Android devices?

2. Where can I get apps for my iOS devices?

There is your monopoly.

 

[Michael Scrip]

Depends who's is office determines which companies are targeted. Democrats have no reason to go after Facebook as they are on their side. If (when) republicans are back in office they will target social networks that have a perceived liberal agenda.

It's funny how Republicans/Conservatives always complain about liberal bias or being silenced...

And yet we keep hearing from them. There is tons of R/C material being spread across the internet RIGHT NOW. And always has been. Facebook is FULL of right-wing stuff.

They'll also say "we're being silenced!" while sitting in front of a camera being broadcast to millions of TVs. And that video clip will be distributed on, guess what, social media.

If Facebook is liberal... why do I keep seeing conservative posts shared by my family members?

Answer: Conservative posts are the top-performers on Facebook.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1303005558501302295

 

[WiseAJ]

Two Questions:

1. Where can I get apps for my Android devices?

2. Where can I get apps for my iOS devices?

There is your monopoly.

iOS/Android device isn't their own market. The applicable market is smartphone and Apple most certainly doesn't have a majority market share/monopoly there.