A coalition of lobbying organizations in the technology industry has sent a letter to the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) demanding an investigation into Apple for allegations of unfair competition. The letter highlights Apple’s blocking of the Beeper app, which replicated iMessage and allowed compatibility with Android phones. The coalition argues that Apple’s actions are aimed at protecting its “walled garden” and stifling competition.
Another organization, Demand Progress, which focuses on civil rights issues, has also sent its own letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, calling for an investigation into Apple. The letter was also signed by other organizations such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Fight for the Future.
The DOJ has been analyzing Apple’s activities for possible violations of antitrust laws for some time now. The Tech Oversight Project’s letter to the DOJ urges them to expedite the investigation and bring an antitrust case against Apple, assuming that the company has engaged in unfair competition practices in the past.
The letter also references the recent case of Beeper Mini being shut down and previous complaints from Tile, a tracking device manufacturer, regarding Apple’s impact on their functionality. Demand Progress’s letter emphasizes Apple’s strategy of keeping iMessage exclusive to its devices, which prevents seamless communication between Apple devices and Android devices.
Pressure on Apple to reduce its market dominance has increased following the Apple-Beeper incident. Previously, four US senators also demanded an investigation into Apple for possible violations of antitrust laws.
Apple has stated that it is taking steps to protect user privacy and security by blocking certain techniques used by Beeper. However, these actions raise concerns about the company’s control and monopolistic practices.
The growing interest of regulators in the issue of monopolization and competition means that tech giants like Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Meta must face increasingly scrutiny. Experts predict that Apple, like Google, will face mounting pressure to open up its app store and platform to greater competition from other providers. The outcome of these investigations could have significant consequences for the tech giant and the entire tech industry.
The source of the article is from the blog aovotice.cz