The Department of Justice’s antitrust probe into Apple’s App Store rules is continuing to move forward, as the DoJ continues its investigation into the App Store’s dominance in the app world. The department is expected to bring a case against the Cupertino firm.
The DoJ has been probing Apple’s App Store practices since November 202o, taking a close look at what developers term anticompetitive behavior on the iPhone maker’s part.
Jonathan Kanter, DoJ antitrust unit chief since November 2021, told the Financial Times that the App Store policies investigation is now “firing on all cylinders.” while Kanter has previously indicated he wants to bring cases against major U.S. companies like Apple, the DoJ didn’t explicitly comment on the probe’s findings thus far.
The probe is facing time pressure in the form of a presidential election. A change of occupants in the White House in January 2025, means that the DoJ has just a year to bring action against Apple, as it will find it more difficult with a more business-friendly administration in the Oval Office.
In February 2023, it was reported that the U.S. Department of Justice had ramped up its antitrust investigation into Apple. A Wall Street Journal report claimed the DoJ had added additional litigators to the case and had made new requests for documents and consultations with companies connected to the investigation.
In December, it was reported that the United States Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) were stepping up their investigations into Apple’s blocking of the iMessage for Android app Beeper Mini
Apple is also facing pressure over its App Store operation in the European Union, and the U.S. FTC and a House antitrust subcommittee have also been investigating anticompetitive conduct among major tech companies.