Apple Met With DOJ Antitrust Chief in Bid to Head Off Antitrust Lawsuit

Apple representatives met with the U.S. Justice Department last week in a last ditch effort to persuade the agency not to file an antitrust suit against the company, according to Bloomberg.

iOS App Store General Feature JoeBlue
Citing people familiar with the matter, the report states that Apple and its lawyers met with Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter, who will have the final say on whether to file a suit.

Since 2019, the Justice Department has been looking into Apple's App Store business practices and whether iOS favors Apple's own apps and services over those provided by third-party developers and other companies.

The DOJ began by inquiring about Apple's App Store policies, and reportedly met with developers to learn more about the ‌App Store‌'s review process.

The department reportedly escalated its probe in early 2023 by assigning additional litigators to the case and requesting documents and consultations with companies connected to the investigation.

Apple has been accused of or investigated for anticompetitive practices in several other countries over the past few years, with many of the complaints related to the ‌App Store‌. Most recently, Apple announced major changes to the way the ‌App Store‌ and apps operate in the EU in order to comply with the bloc's inbound Digital Markets Act before March 7, and the DOJ has reportedly been monitoring these developments.

The DOJ is expected to make its first legal move in the coming weeks, likely by the end of March, according to Bloomberg's sources, potentially leaving Apple facing an antitrust lawsuit brought by the U.S. government.

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Top Rated Comments

WiiDSmoker Avatar
21 months ago
APPLE SHOULD LEAVE THE USA
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mrkevinfinnerty Avatar
21 months ago

APPLE SHOULD LEAVE THE USA
The DOJ should build their own smartphone if they don't like it.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
freediverx00 Avatar
21 months ago
I have mixed feelings about all this. We have a huge problem with a handful of oversized companies trapping users on their “platforms” and then stifling innovation and competition. But I have little faith in government bureaucrats’ ability to properly address the problem without making it worse for consumers and small competitors.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tazinlwfl Avatar
21 months ago
Crazy how iPhone and the ecosystem was thriving and fostering entire new economies, started out without an App Store at all, and launched with policies that have remained consistent (albeit loosened over the years) including the 30/70 revenue sharing, but NOW it’s a problem because… they were too successful in building up the platform? Now they have to tear it down and cut off a revenue stream that literally funds the development and support of a core, marketable feature of the ecosystem: the App Store? lol insane.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ahmamies Avatar
21 months ago
That stupid EU up to no good again. Oh, wait.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
t0rqx Avatar
21 months ago
they don't care about no anticompetitive , they want some piece of that apple treasure chest.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)