Apple is very likely to face an antitrust suit from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), The Information reported. An investigation into the company is said to have accelerated, and this makes a lawsuit more likely.
DOJ Accelerates Apple Antitrust Probe
There has reportedly been increased legal activity in the DOJ’s investigation since the summer. This included new subpoenas being sent to Apple’s business partners and more staff working on the probe. Despite all this, investigations of this nature can take years, and there is no guarantee it will lead to a case.
One interesting element of this is the role of Jonathan Kanter. He is set to lead the DOJ’s antitrust division but has also represented firms that have opposed Apple in his private practice. These clients include Match, Tile, Spotify, and Basecamp. It was not known at the time of this writing whether this private practice work would influence the timing of any DOJ suit against Apple, or whether it would require Mr. Kanter to recuse himself. Neither he, Apple or the DOJ had commented publicly at the time of this writing.