The states are said to have met with the attorney general yesterday…
Reuters reports.
In addition to Texas, four other states have been named with varying degrees of certainty.
The bipartisan group held discussions centered on “big tech companies stifling competition on the internet,” the statement said. The other participants were not named, although four other states have been identified as having attended.
“It was a productive meeting and we’re considering a range of possible antitrust actions against such companies,” the statement said.
The federal antitrust probe has been described as a “broad” one, simply intended “to understand whether there are antitrust problems that need addressing,” but agreement was reached between the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission that the former would take the lead on Apple, with a specific focus on whether the Cupertino company is guilty of “illegal monopolization tactics.”
Apple is in the spotlight in respect of the App Store. Customers and developers have each launched class action lawsuits alleging that Apple acts as a monopoly, as it’s the only way to buy and sell iPhone and iPad apps. Apple for its part argues that it cannot be a monopoly, given that people are free to buy Android phones and write apps for that platform.
There have been diverse views on the likely outcome of antitrust investigations into Apple, from a warning not to invest in the stock to suggestions that it will have little to no impact. Latest to weigh in was investment bank Macquarie, with a look at the possible financial impact if Apple and Google were required to reduce the commissions they charge on app sales.
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