Apple is facing an antitrust probe due to “Apple Login” and other developer complaints

The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating developer complaints about Apple’s “Sign in with Apple” option, it reports Information.

Introduced in iOS 13, “Sign in with Apple” is a privacy-focused sign-in option that allows users to choose to sign in to an app with their Apple ID, without having to create a username or share an email address with developers.

Apple requires that all App Store apps that offer login options for Google, Facebook, and Twitter also enable “Sign in with Apple” (with the exception of apps that only use third-party accounts like Gmail and Tweetbot), which some developers aren’t happy about. with.

According to sources they spoke to, developer complaints filed last summer are now being investigated by U.S. antitrust regulators Information. The U.S. DoJ examines how Apple uses its login button and “other” App Store “rules that make it harder for users to switch to a competing device manufacturer.”

The probe is examining Apple’s control over the App Store, fees charged to developers and complaints about location tracking restrictions and other forms of tracking to which Apple’s own apps are not subject.

Apple spokesman Fred Sainz declined to comment on the antitrust investigation when asked Information, but said Apple’s Sign-in feature is designed to provide users with a privacy-focused alternative to sign-in offered by other companies.

The Justice Department has not yet decided whether to sue Apple, and that decision could take months. Facebook and Google are also facing an antitrust investigation, and lawsuits have already been filed against them.

U.S. antitrust regulators last year launched an investigation into Apple’s fees and App Store policies. Under the leadership of the U.S. Judiciary Subcommittee on Justice, the investigation finally compared Apple and Google. Facebook and Amazon for oil barons and railroad tycoons.

The committee published a 450-page report highlighting CEO interviews, over 1.3 million documents and findings from hearings with application developers. The report recommends new antitrust laws after concluding that Apple had a monopoly over the distribution of software applications on iOS devices.

Apple is also facing antitrust investigations from the European Union, Australia, Russia, Germany and Italy, and has been fined by France and South Korea.