To avoid antitrust lawsuits, sources say Apple is in final contact with the U.S. Department of Justice

According to people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reported today that Apple representatives met with U.S. Department of Justice officials last week in an attempt to prevent the Department of Justice from filing an antitrust lawsuit against it.

People familiar with the matter said that Apple and its lawyers met with Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter, who will make the final decision on whether to file a lawsuit. Antitrust enforcers have been investigating Apple since 2019. Those involved claim that Apple imposes software and hardware restrictions on its iPhones and iPads to prevent competitors from competing effectively.

The lawsuit is expected to be filed in the coming weeks, "most likely" before the end of March, the people said.

The report pointed out that Apple has been widely criticized for charging developers 15% or 30% commission, and developers and lawmakers have expressed strong dissatisfaction with this. In January of this year, Apple announced that it would allow U.S. developers to use other payment systems, but for members of the App Store Small Business Program, the commission would be 12%, while other developers would need to pay a 27% commission.

The U.S. Department of Justice has also been paying attention to Apple’s actions in Europe. According to previous reports by this site, the EU’s Digital Markets Act will be implemented on March 7. To comply, Apple will allow users to download software from outside the App Store, use alternative payment systems, and more easily choose a new default web browser.

According to reports, EU antitrust regulators are expected to fine Apple at least 500 million euros early next week. The fine comes as Apple is accused of suppressing music streaming rivals including Spotify on its platform.

Image source Pexels

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