The U.S. Justice Department has escalated its investigation into whether Apple has built a monopoly. The investigation, which kicked off in 2019, has dealt with Apple’s policies governing mobile third-party software on its devices, which has been the focus of the majority of the criticism targeting Apple’s competitive practices.
Why it matters: Apple’s policies governing its App Store have been condemned by governments and critics around the world, who are investigating whether its power over the distribution and pricing of outside software on its mobile devices harms competition.
- The Justice Department is also investigating whether Apple has used its operating system to favor its hardware among other products.
- Other governmental bodies including the European Union are also putting constraints on Apple and other tech companies from taking advantage of digital markets via the implementation of new laws.
