Apple Vulnerable To DOJ's Broader Antitrust Probe Involving iOS Favoring Itself

The Justice Department fast-tracked drafting a potential antitrust complaint against Apple Inc AAPL over its monopoly power abuse since 2019.
The investigation dealt partly with Apple’s policies governing mobile third-party software on its devices and its mobile operating system, iOS, the Wall Street Journal reports.
The DOJ assigned more litigators to the case, with new requests for documents and consultations with the companies involved.
The DOJ initially sidelined top antitrust official Jonathan Kanter from overseeing the Apple case because of his prior representation of clients who have accused Apple of anti-competitive behavior.
The DOJ recently cleared Kanter to work on another significant tech enforcement case involving Alphabet Inc GOOG GOOGL Google despite representing clients making antitrust complaints against Google.
Apple’s policies governing its App Store have been a target for critics and government regulators around the globe.
Contrastingly, the DOJ investigated whether Apple made the iPhone stickier by locking down access to iOS and discouraging users from switching to Android phones.
One area of DOJ inquiry is Tile Inc, which sells consumer tracking devices. Apple updated its tracking app Find My in 2019, which brought the company more into competition with Tile.
Apple released an AirTag in 2021, a small device similar to those sold by Tile that can track anything using the company’s Find My app.
Apple integrated Apple products with its operating system in various ways, unlike its competitors, allegedly creating an unfair advantage.
They include iMessage, which Android users cannot access, and AirPods, the company’s headphones with unique pop-ups and other privileges that make them easier to use.
Price Action: AAPL shares traded lower by 0.30% at $154.86 premarket on the last check Thursday.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons

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