Several US companies have been under investigation by the US House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee. It concluded that tech companies such as Apple, Facebook, Google, and Amazon are the “kinds of monopolies” found in “the era of oil barons and railroad tycoons.”

However, Apple told MacRumors in a statement that it “strongly disagrees with the conclusions reached in the report.”

“We have always said that scrutiny is reasonable and appropriate but we vehemently disagree with the conclusions reached in this staff report with respect to Apple. Our company does not have a dominant market share in any category where we do business. From its beginnings 12 years ago with just 500 apps, we’ve built the App Store to be a safe and trusted place for users to discover and download apps and a supportive way for developers to create and sell apps globally. Hosting close to two million apps today, the ‌App Store‌ has delivered on that promise and met the highest standards for privacy, security and quality. The ‌App Store‌ has enabled new markets, new services and new products that were unimaginable a dozen years ago, and developers have been primary beneficiaries of this ecosystem. Last year in the United States alone, the ‌App Store‌ facilitated $138 billion in commerce with over 85% of that amount accruing solely to third-party developers. Apple’s commission rates are firmly in the mainstream of those charged by other app stores and gaming marketplaces. Competition drives innovation, and innovation has always defined us at Apple. We work tirelessly to deliver the best products to our customers, with safety and privacy at their core, and we will continue to do so.”

This report also explains how these companies share common problems, such as controlling access to markets, charging exorbitant fees, imposing oppressive contract terms, and using their dominant positions to keep their control of the market by eliminating possible rivals. If you want to take a look at the report, you can do so by following this link. Now, I’m only curious to know what Epic Games thinks of this report, and how it may prove that the creators of Fortnite weren’t mistaken when they challenged the App Store Monopoly.

Source MacRumors