Apple is rapidly becoming the test case for a Big Tech crackdown

On 7 August Prof José van Dijck wrote in Politico Magazine about the lawsuits against Apple and other tech giants. The iPhone maker, not Facebook or Google, is rapidly becoming the test case for a Big Tech crackdown from Europe to the United States.

The main issue in these lawsuits is Apple's monopoly position in its own app store. Rivals complain they’re unfairly treated. Apple takes up to a 30 percent commission on purchases through its online store, often offers its own services alongside those provided by rivals, and faces accusations that it unfairly uses this dominance to thwart competitors and push up prices.

Gatekeepers

Van Dijck agrees with the claims made by the prosecutors: “The power Apple has over the ecosystem is immense. They have become real gatekeepers between consumers and apps.”

José van Dijck

José van Dijck is connected to Institutions for Open Societies - an interdisciplinary research area of Utrecht University focused on the development and expansion of healthy open societies everywhere.