Apple Seeks 14 Agencies' Records in DOJ Antitrust Case as US Urges Judge to Quash
Updated
Updated · 9to5Mac · May 25
Apple Seeks 14 Agencies' Records in DOJ Antitrust Case as US Urges Judge to Quash
4 articles · Updated · 9to5Mac · May 25
A joint discovery letter in New Jersey asks a judge to decide whether Apple can obtain documents from 14 federal agencies for its defense against the DOJ’s 2024 iPhone antitrust suit.
Apple says the records could show federal agencies valued iPhone security, privacy, pricing and app-development controls as legitimate product advantages, undermining claims that those practices illegally lock in users.
The company argues the documents are discoverable either as party materials under Rule 34 or through Rule 45 subpoenas, and says the government has not produced a single agency document despite repeated requests.
The U.S. counters that the agencies do not regulate smartphones or buy them like ordinary consumers, making the material only tangentially relevant while searches would be exceptionally burdensome and could reach privileged or classified systems.
The dispute adds an early procedural fight to the DOJ case accusing Apple of maintaining a smartphone monopoly by restricting apps, services and accessories that could ease switching away from the iPhone.
If Apple gets these secret files, what stops any company from demanding sensitive government documents in future lawsuits?
Since the FBI uses intelligence for legal discovery, how can the government argue its agency documents are irrelevant in the Apple case?