Governments put pressure on Apple as antitrust scrutiny increases
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The US Department of Justice is finally likely , will file an antitrust lawsuit against Apple on Thursday.
The Justice Department is conducting an antitrust investigation against Apple following a 2019 complaint from Spotify. Over time, other Apple competitors joined the cause in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
According to Bloomberg, the Justice Department is finally ready to sue Apple over antitrust issues. The lawsuit will be filed on Thursday.
It seemed that the investigation would never end, as empty promises to sue were made for four years in a row. Things seemed to be finally moving towards a real lawsuit after Apple held its usual preliminary meeting in February 2024.
Filing a claim is just the beginning. The Justice Department will have to prove its case, Apple will undoubtedly appeal, and the cycle will repeat for years to come.
It is likely that the DOJ will seek a ruling that would give US customers access to similar requirements under the EU Digital Markets Act. Apple had to create 600 new APIs to open up iOS to alternative markets and new payment methods, and the US government could use the existence of such tools as leverage to enforce compliance.
The news that the Justice Department is finally suing Apple comes just hours after US companies complained that Apple had abandoned its anti-steering practices. US courts will likely rule on changes to Apple's business model, but it is unclear what form those changes will take.
