Apple and the US justice department are in early discussions about settling a 2024 lawsuit that alleges the iPhone maker violated antitrust laws.
The discussions are active, however there is no guarantee that the two sides will reach an agreement, said people with knowledge of the matter. No trial date has been set in the case.
Apple has made multiple offers this year to the justice department (DoJ) to bring the case to a close, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the discussions were private. Settlement discussions between the DoJ and companies can end without an agreement being reached.
Apple declined to comment. The justice department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The US government sued Apple under the Biden administration amid a slew of lawsuits designed to rein in the power of major technology companies. In its complaint, the DoJ said Apple hurt competitors, software developers and consumers of its products with its alleged behaviour. In June 2025, Apple lost a bid to dismiss the antitrust suit.
The DoJ’s main allegations surrounded Apple’s blocking of super apps – programmes that include mini apps within them like WeChat in China – in addition to discouraging outside messaging solutions, cloud streaming apps, rival digital wallets and hindering smartwatch competition.
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The justice department brought the case alongside a bipartisan group of 19 states and the District of Columbia. It couldn’t be learned whether the state attorneys general were engaged in settlement talks.
The justice department under Trump has sought to settle myriad of antitrust cases filed by the previous administration. Stanley Woodward, the number three justice department official currently overseeing the agency’s antitrust work, has pushed for settlements, viewing them as a way to save taxpayer dollars and bring more immediate relief to consumers than litigation that can last for years.
Apple has already addressed much of the complaints, now offering a mini apps program for developers, opening up its Messages app to the Alphabet-led RCS messages system, allowing cloud-streaming apps and opening up the iPhone’s payment chip to third-party apps.
The company still doesn’t allow the Apple Watch to work with Android or non-iPhones, but it has implemented new features to make the experience of using a non-Apple Watch with the iPhone more seamless. – Bloomberg
