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US DOJ targets Apple for potential antitrust probe

Last updated

The U.S. Department of Justice has received jurisdiction to launch a probe into Apple's businesses practices as part of a wider review of antitrust concerns involving large technology companies like Google.

Citing sources familiar with the matter, Reuters on Monday reported the Justice Department met with the Federal Trade Commission in recent weeks to discuss jurisdiction of the potential Apple probe.

The DOJ and FTC hashed out authority over the matter at the same time as an investigation into Google, which will also be led by the Justice Department.

Last week, reports claimed the DOJ is planning to launch a probe into Google's practices as they relate to internet search and "other businesses."

The two government agencies, which split antitrust oversight duties, are ramping up scrutiny of big tech. On Saturday, a The Washington Post report said the DOJ would be tasked with watching Google as the FTC monitors Amazon. Facebook, another tech giant under constant scrutiny for its handling of user data, will be examined by the FTC, according to a Reuters report on Monday.

While the agencies have yet to make their plans public, the recent reports suggest a major government initiative to curtail or even dismantle bit tech's industry power is in the works.

25 Comments

anantksundaram 19 Years · 20393 comments

This is plainly a fishing expedition.

There are just too many of these people with too much time (and taxpayer money) on their grubby little hands.

4 Likes · 0 Dislikes
rotateleftbyte 13 Years · 1633 comments

Google needs Apple who needs Google.
End of story.

What worries me is the reduction in the numbers of different Android handset makers. That could make Google's Pixel a dominant phone brand in the future.

hammeroftruth 17 Years · 1369 comments

They want backdoor access to all devices and then their “investigation” will disappear. 

3 Likes · 0 Dislikes
pslice 19 Years · 154 comments

This is plainly in response to Apple’s privacy efforts. DOJ, Barr dummies, goes after anything that doesn’t jump to Trump’s tune. Sickening.

5 Likes · 0 Dislikes
sdw2001 24 Years · 17466 comments

pslice said:
This is plainly in response to Apple’s privacy efforts. DOJ, Barr dummies, goes after anything that doesn’t jump to Trump’s tune. Sickening.

DOJ has been looking at tech for years, going back to 2013.  There has been a ton of public interest and concern about Apple, Facebook, Google and Amazon.  It's an issue that crosses party lines, with Trump's DOJ taking a closer look, right through Elizabeth Warren's statements about breaking up Amazon.  Whether or not they find violations is anyone's guess.  

3 Likes · 0 Dislikes