Apple is accused of illegal monopoly in the smartphone market. In early March, the company was fined nearly $2 billion in the EU for disrupting the work of music streaming services. Additionally, five major companies have filed lawsuits against Apple for charging commissions on transactions outside the App Store. Will Apple change its policies under such pressure?
The U.S. Department of Justice is once again accusing Apple of violating antitrust laws. The agency filed a lawsuit against the digital giant in federal court in New Jersey. How is the battle with the “apple” empire going?
The U.S. authorities accuse Apple of illegally monopolizing the smartphone market. This was stated by the Attorney General. The Department of Justice and 15 states have already filed a lawsuit against the IT giant.
If the case is won, Apple could be fined up to $100 million. On the one hand, the figure is large, but on the other hand, it’s not critical for such a corporation, according to Denis Kuskov, CEO of the analytical agency TelecomDaily. He emphasizes that the attacks on Apple are a persistent trend, but the company deserves the position it holds in the market:
Denis Kuskov, CEO of the analytical agency TelecomDaily
Apple is facing troubles not only in America but also in Europe. In early March, the corporation was fined nearly 2 billion euros for obstructing the work of music streaming services.
Complaints have been coming in for a while. Following a complaint from Spotify, the European Commission conducted an investigation and found that Apple prevented developers from providing users with information about more budget-friendly subscriptions. Today, the rules of the App Store clearly conflict with the new pan-European digital market law, so the EU is determined to fight. Leading analyst at Mobile Research Group, Eldar Murtazin, comments:
Eldar Murtazin, Lead Analyst at Mobile Research Group
The war is being actively waged not only by states but also by individual players. Lawsuits against Apple have already been filed by Microsoft, X, Spotify, Match Group, and Meta, a company recognized as extremist in Russia. They are all against Apple charging nearly a 30% commission on transactions outside the App Store. Some app developers also complain about Apple because the “apple” interface lacks buttons for alternative payment methods.