Report: DOJ Could File Antitrust Suit Against Apple This Year

The U.S. Justice Department may join Epic Games and Tile in accusing Apple of using the popularity of its products, especially the iPhone, to stifle competition, according to reports.

politics Report(opens in new window) According to “a person with direct knowledge of the matter,” “DoJ attorneys are in the early stages of drafting a potential antitrust lawsuit against Apple,” but it appears that the DOJ has not yet decided whether it will actually file a lawsuit against the company.

The source (along with another person “familiar with the Apple investigation”) told Politico that “the Justice Department has yet to decide whether or when to indict Apple,” although it is said to be preparing for it by the end of the year.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Politico reports that the U.S. Department of Justice is focusing on the App Store, which has faced increasing scrutiny around the world due to Apple’s payment restrictions and has been “concerned about whether Apple’s control over its physical devices and How to hurt competitors other than app developers”.

Last year, Apple required iOS developers to use its own payment system to offer in-app purchases, a requirement that was criticized by regulators in the Netherlands, India and South Korea. Lawmakers in the United States and the European Union have also expressed concern about the restrictions.

The company has been less critical of the iPhone hardware itself — at least from lawmakers.Tiles have been complain(opens in new window) Even before the product was officially announced, Apple gave AirTag an unfair advantage in the personal tracker market.

Politico reports that “the Department of Justice is primarily concerned” with Tile’s complaint, which includes claims that “Apple makes it harder for the company’s devices to access required location data and restricts access to key hardware components in its phones.” (i.e. U1 chip(opens in new window).)