The Information reports that the United States Department of Justice has intensified its antitrust investigation into Apple, increasing the likelihood of Apple being sued in antitrust cases.
The Information cites internal sources who have knowledge of the investigation and says that there has been "flurry" activity, with the DOJ continuing to question Apple, its customers, as well as its competitors, about Apple's control of the iPhone. Over the summer, the DOJ issued new subpoenas for Apple's business partners and added staff to the investigation.
Although details are still being sorted out, The Information sources believe that an investigation will result in a lawsuit. Apple has been under investigation for over two years by the DOJ. The probe is part of a larger investigation that includes the Justice Department investigating Apple, Google and Facebook.
The DOJ spoke with Apple critics, including Spotify, Match Group and Basecamp. These companies are unhappy with Apple’s App Store policies.
The Department of Justice will receive a recommendation from the attorneys involved in the probe on whether to file a lawsuit against Apple. However, no formal recommendation has been made at the moment. There is still the possibility that Apple will not be sued as the investigation continues.
Apple won its Epic Games lawsuit largely. The judge ruled that Apple had not violated U.S. Antitrust Law. However, The Information sources claim that the DOJ is expanding its investigation into issues such as Sign in with Apple, App Tracking Transparency and location tracking restrictions. This will ensure that an eventual DOJ case is not hindered by Epic's loss.
