U.S. Senators Urge Apple to Reconsider Decision Not to Testify in Upcoming App Store Hearing

Apple has decided not to testify in a U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing on antitrust issues related to mobile App Stores, and U.S. senators have called Apple's refusal "unacceptable," reports Reuters.

app store blue banner
In a letter addressed to Apple CEO Tim Cook, senators Amy Klobuchar and Mike Lee urged Apple to reconsider the decision because a "full and fair examination" of competition issues requires Apple's participation.

The senators say that Apple has been aware of the upcoming April hearing for weeks and even held discussions with Senate staff members on who would testify on Apple's behalf, but then Apple "abruptly declared" that it would provide no witness to testify at all.

Apple is citing its upcoming trial against Epic Games as the reason for not providing a witness for the App Store hearing, but the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights is not happy with that excuse.

There is no specific date set for the hearing as of yet, but Google plans to participate. It will look at the power that Apple and Google have over the cost, distribution, and availability of mobile apps on iPhone and Android devices.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 With Apple's Own 5G Modem 'Confirmed' to Launch in March

Tuesday November 19, 2024 12:12 pm PST by
Barclays analyst Tom O'Malley and his colleagues recently traveled to Asia to meet with various electronics manufacturers and suppliers. In a research note this week, outlining key takeaways from the trip, the analysts said they have "confirmed" that a fourth-generation iPhone SE with an Apple-designed 5G modem is slated to launch towards the end of the first quarter next year. In line with previo...
airtag purple

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch Next Year With These New Features

Sunday November 17, 2024 5:18 am PST by
Apple released the AirTag in April 2021, so it is now three over and a half years old. While the AirTag has not received any hardware updates since then, a new version of the item tracking accessory is rumored to be in development. Below, we recap rumors about a second-generation AirTag. Timing Apple is aiming to release a new AirTag in mid-2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman....
Magic Mouse Next to Keyboard

No, Apple CEO Tim Cook Didn't Say He Prefers Logitech's MX Master 3 Over the Magic Mouse

Sunday November 17, 2024 3:03 pm PST by
While the Logitech MX Master 3 is a terrific mouse for the Mac, reports claiming that Apple CEO Tim Cook prefers that mouse over the Magic Mouse are false. The Wall Street Journal last month published an interview with Cook, in which he said he uses every Apple product every day. Soon after, The Verge's Wes Davis attempted to replicate using every Apple product in a single day. During that...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Real Mock

Apple Releases iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 With Security Fixes

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1, minor updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that debuted earlier in September. iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 come three weeks after the launch of iOS 18.1. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iOS 17.7.2 for...
at t turbo indicator iphone 16 pro max v0 8hrh7w5f3w1e1

AT&T Turbo Indicator Showing Up in iPhone Status Bar for Subscribers

Wednesday November 20, 2024 3:42 am PST by
AT&T has begun displaying "Turbo" in the iPhone carrier label for customers subscribed to its premium network prioritization service, according to reports on Reddit. The new indicator seems to have started appearing after users updated to iOS 18.1.1, but that could be just coincidence. Image credit: Reddit user No_Highlight7476 The Turbo feature provides enhanced network performance through ...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 1 Redux

'iPhone 17 Air' Rumored to Surpass iPhone 6 as Thinnest iPhone Ever

Monday November 18, 2024 1:07 pm PST by
In a research note with Hong Kong-based investment bank Haitong today, obtained by MacRumors, Apple analyst Jeff Pu said he agrees with a recent rumor claiming that the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" will be around 6mm thick. "We agreed with the recent chatter of an 6mm thickness ultra-slim design of the iPhone 17 Slim model," he wrote. If that measurement proves to be accurate, there would be ...
bug security vulnerability issue fix larry

Make Sure to Update: iOS 18.1.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 Fix Actively Exploited Vulnerabilities

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:52 am PST by
The iOS 18.1.1, iPadOS 18.1.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 updates that Apple released today address JavaScriptCore and WebKit vulnerabilities that Apple says have been actively exploited on some devices. With the JavaScriptCore vulnerability, processing maliciously crafted web content could lead to arbitrary code execution. The WebKit vulnerability had the same issue with maliciously crafted...

Top Rated Comments

WiseAJ Avatar
47 months ago
Just set the hearing after the Epic Games trial and maybe Apple will participate. They kinda busy right now taking out the trash.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I7guy Avatar
47 months ago
I would assume this stance was made on the advice of Apples' attorneys.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jz0309 Avatar
47 months ago
I think I can appreciate Apples response as there might be implications forthcoming that would influence the Epic trial... but I’m not a legal expert and I would assume that Tim Cook will respond to the letter with clarification
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Cosmosent Avatar
47 months ago
There is NO benefit to Apple participating.

And, there is NO real need for a Hearing.

ALL of the facts are known !

Congress just needs to move forward with the proposed New Laws !

BTW, "Public" Hearings with Congress participating are a known Waste of Time !

ALL most member of Congress want out of such Public Hearings is Ammo for their RE-election campaign TV commercials !

ONLY "Private" Hearings have ANY real chance of being productive !
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jav6454 Avatar
47 months ago
Waste of time, why not spend this time on something else? Like looking into why ISPs charge an arm and a leg for a half assed internet connection.

AT&T, Verizon, Comcrap and the likes have been milking the American people with their regional monopolies over network for years and I haven't seen on private hearing with tangible laws released. Yes, the FCC and its Net Neutrality helps, to an extent.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
IG88 Avatar
47 months ago

What do you have to hide Apple?
Hearings like this are often full of political grandstanding, and can end up being mainly self serving for the politicians. There's no upside for Apple to participate.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)