Apple might just be the next big tech firm to face antitrust charges in the US. The DOJ (Department of Justice) is at the moment finalizing an antitrust investigation into tech company Apple that reportedly targets its closed ecosystem, as per the New York Times.
Apple to Face Antitrust Charges in the US
Very soon, apple could be the subject of yet another federal antitrust lawsuit as per a report from The New York Times. The publication in question which carried the development stated that the US Department of Justice is in the latter stages of an investigation into Apple and that it moves to keep customers locked into its ecosystem.
The investigation of the DOJ is set to look at how Apple stops its rivals from making use of iMessage as well as how the smartwatch of the company works better when being used with the iPhone in contrast to watches from other brands, the Times reports. Investigators additionally are reportedly also examining just how Apple stops other financial providers from making use of iPhone-specific payment services.
The Progress of the Agency with the Investigation
The said investigation is not yet set in stone and concrete, as senior officials of the DOJ are still reviewing and going through the results of the investigation, sources close to the matter told the Times. Apple also reportedly met with the DOJ “multiple times” as even as recent as December, but it however still has not held a final and lasting meeting with the agency with it also still having to defend its practices. The Department of Justice could easily file its lawsuit against Apple as soon as the first part of the year, as per the Times.
The Wall Street Journal in February of the previous year reported that the DOJ was in the process of escalating its investigation into Apple. The maker of the iPhone in question has reportedly drawn antitrust scrutiny a couple of times in the much recent past, and this is inclusive of when the company reportedly shut down the iMessage app for Android created by Beeper in the latter part of the previous year.
Other Big Tech Companies with Antitrust Concerns
You however should know that Apple is not the only Big Tech Company with antitrust issues and concerns at the moment. The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) filed a huge antitrust lawsuit against Amazon in the previous year. And Google on the other hand also agreed to pay a whopping $700 million back in December to help settle antitrust charges. Microsoft in question is also facing scrutiny from the FTC over its planned deal to purchase Activision Blizzard.
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