The anti-monopoly situation has changed dramatically: The US Department of Justice under the Trump administration plans to "settle out of court" and enter into secret settlement negotiations with Apple Inc. (AAPL.US)

According to people familiar with the matter, Apple Inc. is in early discussions with the U.S. Department of Justice to settle a lawsuit scheduled for 2024, which accuses the iPhone manufacturer of violating antitrust laws. Insiders say that negotiations are actively taking place, but there is no guarantee that both parties will reach an agreement. The trial date for the case has not yet been determined. It is reported that Apple Inc. has made multiple offers to the Department of Justice this year in hopes of ending the case. Some insiders have mentioned that in recent weeks, there has been increased activity in the negotiations, with both sides exchanging draft settlement materials. Settlement negotiations between the Department of Justice and corporations could end without reaching an agreement. The U.S. government sued Apple Inc. during the Biden administration, issuing a series of lawsuits aimed at curbing the power of large tech companies. The Department of Justice claimed in the lawsuit that Apple Inc.'s alleged behavior harmed competitors, software developers, and consumers of its products. In June 2025, Apple Inc. lost its request to dismiss the antitrust lawsuit. The Department of Justice accuses Apple Inc. of monopolizing the high-end smartphone market. The main allegations focus on Apple Inc.'s blocking of "super apps" (applications that include in-app programs, such as WeChat in China), as well as hindering external messaging solutions, cloud streaming apps, competitors' digital wallets, and competition in the smartwatch industry. The Department of Justice filed the lawsuit together with a bipartisan group composed of 19 states and the District of Columbia. It is currently unknown whether the attorneys general of each state are participating in the settlement negotiations. Earlier this year, the Department of Justice reached a settlement with Live Nation Entertainment, challenging the music industry giant's monopoly during the Biden administration. However, most of the states that jointly sued with the Department of Justice did not sign the settlement agreement, eventually winning the trial against the company. Under the leadership of Trump, the Department of Justice has been seeking settlements for a large number of antitrust cases brought by the previous administration. Currently, Stanley Woodward, the third-ranking official overseeing antitrust work at the Department of Justice, has been pushing for settlements, believing that they are a way to save taxpayer dollars and provide more immediate relief for consumers compared to potentially years-long litigation. In addition to Live Nation, the Department of Justice also reached settlements in cases involving data analytics companies in the real estate and agriculture sectors during the Biden administration. Earlier this week, the Department of Justice suffered a setback in the case against Apple Inc. when Apple Inc. won the right to collect data from over a dozen other government agencies, claiming that this data is crucial in proving the competitiveness of the smartphone market. The Department of Justice had attempted to block access to information from various agencies including the CIA, the Pentagon, and the Department of Homeland Security. Apple Inc. has resolved most complaints and has now provided a small programs project for developers, opened its "Messages" app to the RCS messaging system led by Alphabet's company, allowed cloud streaming apps, and opened the iPhone's payment chip to third-party apps. The company still does not allow the Apple Watch to work with Android or non-iPhone devices, but it has introduced new features to make the user experience more seamless on an iPhone without an Apple Watch. However, the government is concerned that Apple Inc. may have the ability to unilaterally implement changes, so any settlement may require legal enforceable commitments regarding Apple Inc.'s conduct.