The US Department of Justice has been granted authority to investigate Apple for potential antitrust violations, according to Reuters.
The news comes after reports that Google is under scrutiny from Justice Department antitrust investigators, with the DOJ reportedly focusing on its advertising and search businesses. Meanwhile, the Federal Trade Commission has been authorized to investigate Facebook and Amazon. It’s not yet clear what actions the Justice Department is taking with Apple or what an antitrust case would focus on.
Apple is currently facing investigation in the European Union, where streaming music provider Spotify accused the company of favoring its own music app and driving up Spotify’s prices with App Store fees. The Supreme Court also ruled last month that it will have to face an antitrust lawsuit brought by iPhone app buyers. It was also involved in an ebook price-fixing antitrust case several years ago, ultimately refunding customers who were found to have over-paid for books.
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