Separate groups of US state attorneys general are investigating Facebook and Google for antitrust violations. So far, there has been no word of AGs probing Apple.
However, that doesn’t mean the iPhone maker has escaped probes by other government bodies, both in the US and Europe.
States v. Facebook and Google
New York Attorney General Tish James said this morning she is leading a group of eight AGs into a hard look at Facebook’s business practices. “We will use every investigative tool at our disposal to determine whether Facebook’s actions may have endangered consumer data, reduced the quality of consumers’ choices, or increased the price of advertising,” said James in a statement.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is reportedly heading up a team of over 30 AGs investigating Google. An official announcement of this task force is expected on Monday.
DoJ and EU looking into Apple
Last month, the US Department of Justice (DoJ) kicked off an investigation of all tech giants, without naming any specific companies. The probe is focusing on search, social media and retail services, so it’s not clear if Apple is in the Justice Department’s crosshairs or if it’s concentrating more on Google, Facebook and Amazon.
There’s no doubt the European Commission is investigating Apple. It’s looking to whether the company’s control of the App Store gives it an unfair advantage in services. The probe was touched by a complaint by the streaming music service Spotify.
