Apple’s Semiconductor Deal Merits Antitrust Probe, Advocates Say

The US Justice Department should investigate Apple Inc.‘s contract with a major semiconductor manufacturer alongside its broader lawsuit against the iPhone maker’s allegedly monopolistic conduct, several advocacy groups told the agency.

Apple’s anticompetitive practices extend “far beyond the smartphone market,” said Erik Peinert, research manager at the American Economic Liberties Project. The anti-monopoly group is among those who sent the DOJ a letter on Tuesday, urging it to probe Apple’s alleged monopoly of the supply chain for electronics.

The company’s exclusive deal with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. in particular should raise red flags for antitrust enforcers, they argue. ...