Lawmakers Ask to See Tim Cook's E-mails in Large Antitrust Investigation – BGR



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As part of Congress' in-depth investigation into antitrust behavior by Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Google, the Judiciary Committee of the House sent a letter to Tim Cook asking him to consult a wide range of internal documents related to his investigation. .

The demand is incredibly broad and specifically calls for communications with key Apple officials, a list that includes Cook, Eddy Cue, Phil Schiller, Johnny Srouji, Jony Ive, Craig Federighi and others.

Regarding the type of documents that the House Judiciary Committee is asking Apple to release, Apple would like to see all e-mails related to the following issues:

  • Apple's decision to remove from the App Store or impose restrictions on certain parental control and display screen applications.
  • The App Store algorithm that determines the ranking of the app search in the App Store
  • Apple's policy regarding whether and under which circumstances a specific app or app categories of the App Store is permitted to use payment systems other than Apple's payment system
  • Apple's policy on allowing apps to include in-app links to non-Apple payment systems
  • Apple's revenue sharing policy for in-app purchases
  • Apple's policy regarding the ability for iPhone users to choose non-Apple apps as their default apps, including, but not limited to, default web browser, card, customer settings messaging, card services, or music players
  • Apple's policy regarding the authorization on the iPhone of any other app store than the Apple App Store.

The other documents they want to see yielded to Apple are centered on Apple's iPhone battery replacement program, Apple's decision to launch its independent repair program, and its position on repairs made by Apple. some thirds.

The Washington Post Remarks:

The documents could indicate whether corporate dominance in the markets for research, advertising, e-commerce and other digital markets is rooted in anti-competitive practices, such as swallowing or driving out rivals, and determining the extent to which their leaders participated had been personally aware of any wrongdoing. Lawmakers' letters are not formal legal requests, although the committee has essential powers to compel the four technology giants to deliver their minutes or appear at hearings if necessary.

In a statement on this topic, Representative Jerry Nadler said that "it is becoming increasingly apparent that a handful of companies have managed to capture a disproportionate share of trade and communications in line".

Of course, capturing a "disproportionate" share of trade and communications is not tantamount to antitrust behavior. Indeed, the documents requested by lawmakers will be examined to determine whether Apple and the other three technology giants have abused their dominance to stifle innovation and keep competition at bay.

"This information is essential to determine whether anti-competitive behavior exists, whether our antitrust agencies should investigate specific issues and whether our antitrust laws need to be improved to better promote competition in digital markets," said the representative of the United States. Georgia, Doug Collins.

Image Source: Isopix / Shutterstock

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