Following what has been some of the rockiest few months for Apple in recent memory, it looks like things are only going to get worse, with the Justice Department of the United States ready to sue the tech company for Apple’s antitrust violations and holding its position in the market illegally.
As reported by Bloomberg, the Department of Justice could sue Apple as soon as Thursday, March 21, for “blocking rivals from accessing hardware and software features of its iPhone.” This follows lawsuits against Alphabet, Google’s parent company, for monopolization, as well as cases against Meta and Amazon.
Both Apple and the Justice Department didn’t respond to Bloomberg’s request for a comment, while its sources for the report asked to remain anonymous. Following the news, Apple’s share price (AAPL) fell to $176.40 from $178.67, further compounding months of legal worries for the tech giant – which have made any iPhone 16 rumors fade into the background.
This news comes after Apple’s butted heads with the EU over antitrust violations. Apple’s EU fine just a few weeks ago was an eye-catching €1.8 million, a clear statement from Brussels. The company has bent its knee, however, on multiple occasions, with Apple iOS web distribution for EU customers and quite an embarrassing debacle over Epic’s iOS app store leading to a notable backtrack from the Cupertino company.
What this all means isn’t really clear – Apple’s antitrust suits could just feel like a slap on the wrist, as it is the world’s second-biggest tech company. But it’s definitely looked like a tough time over the last few months. For more beyond the legal gubbins, check out some tech with the best 5G phones – or grab something from the other side of the fence with the best OnePlus phones and the best Samsung phones.