Apple could face a massive antitrust lawsuit in the United States

A decision on Apple's control of software and hardware could be made by mid-year.
Apple's ecosystem is “trapping consumers,” according to US Department of Justice.

Apple's unified model is one of its main models Strength factorswhich gradually encourages users to invest thousands of dollars in trying its products.

However, it's also a business strategy that has put the tech giant in murky waters: According to a recent report, an antitrust investigation is nearing its end and could lead to a lawsuit in the second half of this year.

Apple Watch, iMessage, AirTags, Apple Pay

According to the New York Times, the current investigation highlights Apple's strategies that restrict consumers'Concurrent use For the company's hardware and software, keeping competitors out of the picture.

The US Department of Justice highlighted several anti-competitive practices by Apple.
This broad case addressed many issues, including preventing competitors from using… iMessagewith the latest case involving Beeper, where Apple has prevented Android smartphone owners from interacting with messages.

There was also discussion about why Apple watch It integrates better with the iPhone than other devices, though that may be due more to software improvements than anti-competitive practices.

Other observations relate to the restriction of location services for competing devices Pneumatic signspreventing financial companies from offering contactless payment services similar to Apple PayThe impact of app tracking transparency on advertiser revenues and more.

Very bad moment

Many major companies such as Meta, Spotify, Beeper, Tile, and others have cooperated with antitrust investigators.
However, a final decision on potential legal action is still pending.
It is important that Apple has the opportunity to present its point of view, even if it has not yet been called to defend its position with a view to potentially launching a trial.

According to the report, the Justice Department's actions will depend on Apple's response to European Union regulations related to itAdopt USB-C interface And other requirements.

So far, Apple has followed the rules by adopting the “standard” charging port on the entire iPhone 15 series, but there is still a problem in implementing a system that allows the use of third-party app stores in different regions. Criticisms come not only from Europe, but also from the East.

It's not an easy start to the year for the world's most famous company, so it will be interesting to see how things develop in the coming weeks and months.