Axios reports that several states are investigating Apple for potentially deceiving consumers, according to a March document uncovered by a tech watchdog group, the Tech Transparency Project (TTP).
TTP describes itself as “an information and research hub for journalists, academics, policymakers and members of the public interested in exploring the influence of the major technology platforms on politics, policy, and our lives.”
The Texas attorney general may sue Apple for violating the state’s deceptive trade practices law in connection with a multi-state investigation, according to the document. The Texas AG’s Consumer Protection Division (CPD) “initiated this investigation for enforcement purposes. If violations are uncovered, the Consumer Protection Division will initiate enforcement proceedings. Accordingly, the Office of the Attorney General anticipates litigation in this matter,” the doc adds.
As noted by Axios, it’s uncertain what specific practices Texas or any other states are looking into or the current status of the investigation. The document doesn’t describe the investigation in detail or identify the other states involved.
Apple’s attorneys are going to be busy. Yesterday, it was reported that The Autorit Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM), Italy’s antitrust authority, had opened an investigation into whether Apple and Amazon have engaged in anti-competitive cooperation in the sale of Apple products and Beats headphones. (Beats Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Apple.) The tech giant faces two antitrust violations by the European Commission.
Last month the U.S. House Judiciary Committee sent letters to Apple, Alphabet, Amazon and Facebook asking whether their CEOs plan to participate in a series of antitrust hearings slated for July. The letters raise the prospect of subpoenas to force testimony and document production if the companies don’t comply voluntarily.
In March Autorité de la Concurrence, France’s antitrust body fined Apple 1.1 billion euros ($1.23 billion) for anti-competitive behavior in its distribution network and an abuse of economic dependence on its resellers.
