Aamir Siddiqui / Android Authority
TL; DR
- The US Department of Justice is suing Apple for violating antitrust laws by blocking rivals on its devices.
- Apple has been accused of obstructing great apps that would make the transition from the iPhone easier, of suppressing the Android messaging experience, of limiting smartwatch functions to the Apple Watch, and more.
Apple has been at the center of a storm in several anti-competition and regulatory lawsuits around the world, the main ones being in the EU. The company has had to make some major changes to iOS to comply with the demands stemming from these lawsuits and regulations, such as opening up iOS to third-party app stores. Now, in another blow to the company, the US Department of Justice is suing Apple for violating antitrust laws by blocking rivals on its devices.
The Verge reports that the US Department of Justice has completed its five-year investigation into Apple’s operations and concluded that Apple used its power over iPhone app distribution to thwart innovations that would make it easier for consumers to switch phones. Apple refused to support cross-platform messaging apps, restricted third-party digital wallets and non-Apple smartwatches, and blocked mobile cloud streaming services.
The lawsuit outlines five primary areas of technology where Apple is said to suppress competition:
- Disrupting “super apps” that would make it easier for iPhone users to switch to competing devices.
- Blocking cloud streaming game apps.
- Suppressing the quality of messaging between the iPhone and competing platforms, specifically Android.
- Limiting the functionality of non-Apple smartwatches with their iPhones and making it difficult for Apple Watch users to switch from iPhones.
- Blocking third-party developers from creating competing digital wallets with touch-to-pay functionality for the iPhone.
However, note that Apple recently added support for cloud gaming services, while RCS support is on the way for iOS this year.
Apple shared the following statement with MacRumors:
At Apple, we innovate every day to make technology love – designing products that work seamlessly together, protect people’s privacy and security, and create magical experiences for our users. This lawsuit threatens who we are and the principles that set Apple products apart in fiercely competitive markets. If successful, it would hinder our ability to create the kind of technology people expect from Apple—where hardware, software, and services intersect. It would also set a dangerous precedent, empowering the government to take a heavy hand in designing human technology. We believe this lawsuit is wrong on the facts and the law, and we will vigorously defend against it.
Apple has just escaped a 1.8 billion euro ($2 billion) fine from the European Commission for shutting down competing music services on the iPhone. The EU’s Digital Markets Act also forces the company to allow European users to download iPhone apps from the web, enable third-party app stores, and allow developers to offer discounts to customers outside the Apple App Store. In response, Apple changed the way it collected fees, the controversial Core Technology Fee that raised many eyebrows.
Do you think Apple will fundamentally change the way its products work thanks to these lawsuits and regulations? Let us know in the comments below!