Governments around the world keep filing antitrust lawsuits against the ‘big four’ tech companies. Here’s why that matters for everyone who uses their products.
Following a lengthy investigation, the United States Justice Department is set to file a lawsuit against Apple for potentially breaching antitrust laws.
Over time, the Sherman Antitrust Act evolved into what are today’s antitrust laws, adopted in countries all over the world. The allegation is these companies are concentrating the market and therefore charging higher markups for their goods and services, while having less incentive to innovate in ways that benefit consumers.
While Google and its parent company Alphabet did enact some changes to their practices following these EU rulings, to date Google has not paid these fines and continues to appeal them in various instances. In 2021, the US Federal Trade Commission and more than 40 US states sued Meta, claiming the tech company eliminated competition by buying up its rivals.