Already a facing a potentially massive hit on their Apple store revenues after Google lost a recent Play Store case, the big iPhone maker is now facing a new US Department of Justice investigation into whether the business, in particular their iPhone and iOS ecosystem are a monopoly.
The (DOJ) is currently in the “late stages” of an investigation into Apple and its moves to keep customers locked into its ecosystem.
The DOJ’s investigation is looking at how Apple blocks rivals from using iMessage as well as how the Apple Watch works better when used with the iPhone when compared to watches from other brands, the New York Times has reported.
Additionally, investigators are reportedly examining how Apple prevents other financial providers from using iPhone-specific payment services and like Google Pay force users of their stores to pay extremely high fees for access with both Google and Apple controlling the smartphone app store market.
Senior DOJ officials are still reviewing the investigation’s results, sources told the Times.
Apple reportedly met with the DOJ “multiple times” as recently as December, but it still hasn’t held a final meeting with the agency where it will have to defend its practices.
The DOJ could file its lawsuit against Apple as soon as the first half of 2024, according to the Times.
Last year the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a massive antitrust lawsuit against Amazon, and Google agreed to pay US$700 million in December to settle antitrust charges.
