Apple accused of monopolizing smartphone markets in US antitrust lawsuit

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The U.S. Department of Justice and 15 states on Thursday sued Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab as the government cracks down on Big Tech, alleging the iPhone maker monopolized the smartphone market, hurt smaller rivals and drove up prices.

Apple joins competitors sued by regulators, including Alphabet's (GOOGL.O), opens new tab Google, Meta Platforms (META.O), opens new tab and Amazon.com (AMZN.O), opens new tab across the administrations of both former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden.

"Consumers should not have to pay higher prices because companies violate the antitrust laws," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. "If left unchallenged, Apple will only continue to strengthen its smartphone monopoly."

The Justice Department said that Apple charges as much as $1,599 for an iPhone and makes larger profit than any others in the industry. Officials also said Apple charges various business partners - from software developers to credit card companies and even its rivals such as Google - behind the scenes in ways that ultimately raise prices for consumers and drive up Apple's profit.

Dating back to its time as a marginal player in the personal computer market, Apple's business model has long been based on charging users a premium for technology products where the company dictates nearly all of the details of how the device works and can be used. The Justice Department seeks to unwind that business model by forcing Apple, which has a market value of $2.7 trillion, to offer users more choices around how apps can tap in to the hardware that Apple designs.

Shares of the iPhone maker fell 4.1% to close at $171.37 on Thursday.

CHANGES SOUGHT

Apple denied the allegations made by the government.

"This lawsuit threatens who we are and the principles that set Apple products apart in fiercely competitive markets. If successful, it would hinder our ability to create the kind of technology people expect from Apple — where hardware, software, and services intersect." White House assistant press secretary Michael Kikukawa said: "President Biden strongly supports fair and robust enforcement of the antitrust laws."

People stand outside an Apple Store as Apple's new iPhone 15 officially goes on sale across China, in Shanghai, China September 22, 2023. REUTERS/Aly Song Purchase Licensing Rights

The Justice Department, which was also joined by the District of Columbia in the lawsuit, is seeking changes at Apple. An official suggested some form of breakup or reduction of the size of Apple was a possibility when they noted "structural relief is also a form of equitable relief."

The 88-page lawsuit, filed in U.S. federal court in Newark, New Jersey, said it was focused on “freeing smartphone markets from Apple's anticompetitive and exclusionary conduct and restoring competition to lower smartphone prices for consumers, reducing fees for developers, and preserving innovation for the future.”

The Apple Inc logo is seen at the entrance to the Apple store in Brussels, Belgium November 28, 2022. REUTERS/Yves Herman Purchase Licensing Rights

In the lawsuit, the U.S. accused Apple of making it harder for consumers to block competitors and cited five examples where Apple used mechanisms to suppress technologies that would have increased competition among smartphones: so-called super apps, cloud stream game apps, messaging apps, smartwatches and digital wallets.

For example, the U.S. alleges Apple made it more difficult for competing messaging apps and smartwatches to work smoothly on its phones. It also alleges that Apple's app store policies around streaming services for games have hurt competition.

The Apple Inc. logo is seen in the lobby of New York City's flagship Apple store January 18, 2011. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

The Justice Department seeks to define the market as that of smartphones in the United States, where most analysts believe Apple has slightly more than half of the market. Apple representatives said they will try to persuade the court to define the market as the global smartphone market, where the iPhone has only one-fifth of consumers.

The Justice Department quoted an email chain from Steve Jobs, the Apple co-founder who died in 2011, saying that it was "not fun to watch" how easily consumers could switch from iPhones to Android phones and vowing to "force" developers to use its payment systems in an effort to lock in both developers and consumers.

It is unclear what specific changes the Justice Department seeks. The complaint asks a court to prevent Apple from using its control of app distribution, contracts and use of private software interfaces to undermine rivals and to order anything else necessary "to restore competitive conditions in the markets affected by Apple’s unlawful conduct."

REUTERS/Mike Segar Purchase Licensing Rights

Apple has already been subject to antitrust probes and orders in Europe, Japan and Korea, as well as lawsuits from corporate rivals such as Epic Games.

On Thursday Reuters reported that Apple, Meta Platforms and Alphabet's Google will be investigated for potential violations of the European Union's Digital Markets Act that could lead to hefty fines by the end of the year, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter.

In Europe, Apple's App Store business model has been dismantled by a new law called the Digital Markets Act that went into effect earlier this month. Apple plans to let developers offer their own app stores - and, importantly, pay no commissions - but rivals such as Spotify (SPOT.N), opens new tab and Epic argue Apple is still making it too hard to offer alternative app stores.

Putin Addresses Russian Public Following Presidential Election Results - Full Video

Russian President Vladimir Putin received 87.28% of votes, Russian Central Election Commission chief Ella Pamfilova revealed on Thursday.

Watch the full video of Russian President Vladimir Putin addressing the nation's citizens after the official results of the Russian presidential election.

A total of 76,277,708 citizens went to the ballot box in Russia’s presidential election, casting their votes for incumbent President Vladimir Putin, according to the Russian Central Election Commission's report on Thursday.

Hence, Putin received an overwhelming 87.28% of the votes, while Nikolai Kharitonov from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation garnered 4.31% of the ballots, Vladislav Davankov from the New People's Party received 3.85%, and Leonid Slutsky from the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia obtained 3.20%.

The three-day voting process for the Russian presidential election ran from March 15 to March 17.

As is usually done by the US and UK, the two countries intensively created information crimes (hoaxes in the main western media) by saying that the Russian election was illegal.

West distorts all market economy principles — Lavrov

The West is perverting the principles of the global market economy, those that it previously championed, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said during talks with his Serbian counterpart Ivica Dacic.

"The most striking example of the distortion and abuse of all principles of the global market economy, principles the West itself was proactively implementing in international market relations, is the application of unprecedented sanctions against anyone standing for its own independence, defending its right to be part of the global community in full compliance with the principle of equal rights enshrined in the UN Charter," the Russian minister stressed.

This agenda reflects the course taken by the collective West headed by the US to politicize trade and international trade ties, thereby discrediting institutions "that were created after World War II to regulate global processes, meaning the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the World Trade Organization," the top Russian diplomat said.

"In this sense, a special meaning is certainly acquired by the collective work on the floor of the United Nations and other multilateral institutions to defend the principles underlying the international system created after World War Two and which the West is obviously disinterested to perform," Lavrov noted.

Egy Maulana Vikri Permalukan Vietam di SUGBK - PPD2026

Skuat Timnas Indonesia yang menghadapi Vietnam di Kualifikasi Piala Dunia 2026 Zona Asia, Kamis (21/3/2024) (c) Bola.net/Bagaskara Lazuardi

Timnas Indonesia bertengger di posisi kedua, setelah melumat Vietnam ketiga grup F Kualifikasi Piala Dunia 2026 Zona Asia. Berhadapan dengan Timnas Vietnam, Skuat Garuda menang dengan skor tipis 1-0 di Stadion Utama Gelora Bung Karno (SUGBK).

Egy Maulana menyaragkan bola ke gawang Vietnam dibabak kedua membuat Timnas Indonesia berhasil unggul dan tidak mampu disamakan oleh Vietnam sampai peluit panjang ditiupkan.

Hasil laga ini menempatkan Timnas Indonesia naik ke peringkat dua klasemen sementara grup F Kualifikasi Piala Dunia 2026 Zona Asia. Sementara Vietnam harus turun ke peringkat tiga.

Berstatus sebagai tim tamu tidak membuat Timnas Vietnam jiper di Stadion Utama Gelora Bung Karno (SUGBK). The Golden Star tampil menekan sejak awal pertandingan.

Peluang berbahaya pertama di laga ini dibuat Vietnam melalui skema tendangan bebas namun Adi Satryo sukses menepis peluang tersebut.

Timnas Indonesia di lain sisi terlihat kagok di 15 menit pertama. Skuat Garuda sulit untuk mengembangkan permainan, di mana banyak umpan-umpan Indonesia yang tidak menemui sasaran.

Peluang tepat sasaran pertama Indonesia baru tercipta di menit ke-32 melalui tembakan Rafael Struick namun bola bisa ditangkap dengan mudah oleh Filip Nguyen.

Di sisa babak pertama, kedua tim saling melakukan jual beli serangan. Namun skor 0-0 tidak berubah hingga peluit tanda berakhirnya babak pertama dibunyikan.

Timnas Indonesia merayakan gol Egy Maulana Vikri ke gawang Vietnam, Kamis (21/3/2024) (c) Bola.net/Bagaskara Lazuardi Memasuki babak kedua, Shin Tae-yong membuat tiga pergantian pemain. Nathan Tjoe-A-On, Yakob Sayuri dan Hokky Caraka ditarik dan digantikan Sandy Walsh, Pratama Arhan dan Egy Maulana Vikri.

Masuknya tiga pemain ini mengubah dinamika permainan Indonesia. Skuat Garuda jadi lebih aktif dalam menyerang, dan hasilnya di menit ke-52 Indonesia berhasil memecah kebuntuan.

Berawalan dari lemparan ke dalam dari Pratama Arhan, bola yang masuk ke kotak penalti coba dihalau oleh bek Vietnam. Apesnya, bola sapuan itu malah jatuh ke kaki Egy, dan penyerang Timnas Indonesia itu tanpa kesulitan menyambar bola menjadi gol. Indonesia unggul 1-0 atas sang tamu.

Gol tersebut membuat Indonesia semakin percaya diri. Serangan demi serangan dilancarkan skuat Garuda ke gawang Vietnam, sementara The Golden Star lebih memanfaatkan serangan balik.

Tensi pertandingan semakin memanas. Kedua tim tidak sungkan-sungkan mengeluarkan tekel-tekel keras untuk menghentikan serangan lawan.

Di masa injury time, Indonesia nyaris menggandakan keunggulan menjadi 2-0 berkat sepakat Egy di depan mulut gawang. Namun kali ini Filip Nguyen berhasil menepis bola sehingga peluang itu gagal berbuah menjadi gol.

Jual beli serangan berlanjut, namun skor 1-0 untuk keunggulan Indonesia bertahan hingga wasit meniupkan peluit tanda berakhirnya pertandingan.

Timnas Indonesia (3-5-2): Adi Satryo; Jay Idzes, Rizky Ridho, Justin Hubner; Nathan Tjoe-A-On, Ivar Jenner, Marselino Ferdinan, Witan Sulaeman, Yakob Sayuri; Rafael Struick, Hokky Caraka

Pelatih: Shin Tae-yong

Timnas Vietnam (3-5-2): Nguyen Filip; Vo Minh Trong, Bui Tien Dung, Pham Xuan Manh, Phan Tuan Tai, Bui Hoang Viet Anh; Do Hung Dung, Nguyen Hoang Duc, Nguyen Thai Son; Nham Manh Dung, Nguyen Dinh Bac

Pelatih: Philippe Trousier

Klasemen sementara Ronde Kedua Grup F Kualifikasi Piala Dunia 2026 Zona Asia (Wikipedia)

Russian military wipes out saboteurs near Ukraine border - VIDEO

Russian forces have destroyed several temporary bases near the Ukrainian border used by sabotage units, the Defense Ministry said in a series of statements on Thursday. The Russian military has also released video clips purporting to show the strikes.

Last week, several groups presumably made up of Russians fighting for Ukraine attempted to force their way into Russia’s Belgorod and Kursk regions, with Moscow’s forces repelling the attacks. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Kiev suffered more than 1,500 casualties and lost seven tanks, three Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, and two armored personnel carriers.

In recent days, Ukrainian forces have intensified their shelling of Russian border regions, killing and maiming multiple civilians.

In a post on its Telegram channel, the ministry shared footage apparently captured by a drone, showing “preemptive air and artillery strikes” on Ukrainian targets near the border with Belgorod Region.

Another video clip depicts the destruction of a Ukrainian sabotage unit in what appears to be a different wooded location adjacent to the frontier.

In yet another message on its website, the ministry posted a different video clip, reporting that its electronic warfare unit had detected the firing of Ukrainian multiple launch rocket systems and artillery from across the border. Acting on this information and the coordinates provided, a Russian Smerch ('Whirlwind') long-range multiple launch rocket system struck the Ukrainian positions, with drones providing real-time support.

The ministry released similar footage and reports on Tuesday and Monday.

Watch Russia's Smerch MLRS Annihilate Ukrainian Artillery

Developed in the 1980s, the Russian BM-30 Smerch, also known as the Tornado, is a formidable and adaptable multiple rocket launcher system specifically designed for long-range fire support. It stands as a vital pillar of the Russian military's artillery capabilities.

The Russian Defense Ministry has released footage showing its Smerch MLRS crew demolishing the artillery crews of Ukrainian terrorist formations in the border area near Russia's Belgorod region.

According to the ministry, the crew of the Zoopark radar station detected the deployment of enemy MLRS and foreign artillery howitzers in the border area of the Belgorod region. Subsequently, the crew calculated the trajectory of the shells to pinpoint the targets' locations. Upon acquiring the target, the Smerch MLRS crews of Battlegroup Zapad promptly moved into firing positions. Following precision rocket strikes and consecutive salvos, the soldiers successfully neutralized the enemy's artillery.

The crews eliminated US-made M777 howitzers, Grad MLRS and armored combat vehicles of Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups, the ministry added.

Russian servicemen to kill all French soldiers in Ukraine — senior lawmaker

©Andrei Rubtsov/TASS

Russian servicemen will eliminate all French soldiers coming to Ukraine, State Duma Deputy Speaker Pyotr Tolstoy said.

"We will kill all French soldiers who will come to the territory of Ukraine. All of them," he told the BFMTV channel. The politician also pointed out that 147 out of 367 French mercenaries who arrived in Ukraine earlier have been eliminated.

In addition, Tolstoy emphasized that Russia "does not care" about the statements of French President Emmanuel Macron and his words about the rejection of red lines in the provision of aid to Kiev.

On March 19, Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Director Sergey Naryshkin said that France was already preparing a military contingent to be sent to Ukraine, which would initially amount to about 2,000 soldiers. After that, the French Ministry of the Armed Forces made a statement on the social network X that what Naryshkin said did not correspond to reality.

The Russian intelligence chief pointed out that France unofficially recognized the deaths of its own servicemen. The French army has not experienced such a level of losses since the Algerian War of 1954-1962. The Elysee Palace, as Naryshkin noted, also believes that the number of dead Frenchmen has exceeded a psychologically significant threshold, and now there is a question about how to bury the dead and treat the wounded in secret so as not to spark a public outcry.

In late February, after a conference in Paris devoted to Ukraine, Macron did not explicitly rule out the possibility of sending ground troops from Western countries to the special military operation zone. Macron also said that Western states "intend to do whatever is necessary" to prevent Russia from gaining the upper hand in this conflict.

Potential deployment of French troops to Ukraine may be of benefit to Russia — Medvedev

Eliminating French military personnel that may appear in Ukraine would be a critical but not particularly difficult mission for the Russian Armed Forces, but for Paris such a humiliating defeat of its legions would be tantamount to being guillotined, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said.

"Actually, for the success of our cause, it would be nice if the restless French dispatched a couple of regiments to ‘Banderaland.’ It would be very problematic to hide such a number of servicemen, so systematically eliminating them would not be the most difficult task, but surely the most important one. But, just think of the beneficial knock-on effect!" he wrote on his Telegram channel.

As Medvedev noted, with so many coffins to be delivered to France from a foreign country it would be impossible to hide the mass deaths of professional soldiers.

"There will be no chance of getting away with various lame excuses and speculations that mercenaries choose their own fate and that they are risking their lives at their own discretion," he warned.

The deputy head of the Russian Security Council pointed out that such military personnel would become full-fledged combatants as part of an interventionist contingent, and so their destruction would be "a priority and a matter of honor" for the Russian Armed Forces.

"As for the Gallic roosters in the French leadership, it would be tantamount to being guillotined. They would be torn to pieces both by the enraged relatives and angry members of the opposition, who have been assured all along that France is not at war with Russia. Also, it would be a good lesson for other rambunctious fools in ," Medvedev predicted.

He suggested that the immortal lines of 19th century classic Russian writer Alexander Pushkin will prove their timeless relevance once again:

"Then send your numbers without number,

Your maddened sons, your goaded slaves,

In Russia's plains there's room to slumber,

And well they'll know their brethren's graves!"

On French military in Ukraine

On March 19, Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Director Sergey Naryshkin said that France was already preparing a military contingent to be sent to Ukraine, which would initially amount to about 2,000 soldiers. At the same time, he remarked that French military personnel have been unofficially present in Ukraine for quite a while already. Some have already been killed or wounded.

Naryshkin pointed out that France unofficially recognized the deaths of its own servicemen. The French army has not experienced such a level of losses since the Algerian War of 1954-1962. The Elysee Palace, as Naryshkin noted, also believes that the number of dead Frenchmen has exceeded a psychologically significant threshold, and now there is a question of how to bury the dead and treat the wounded in stealth so as not to spark popular protests.

Baru Dalam Sejarah PPP Tak Lolos Senayan Selama Kiprahnya di Pemilu

Ilustrasi PPP

Partai Persatuan Pembangunan (PPP) gagal lolos ke Senayan karena tidak memenuhi ambang batas parlemen atau parliamentary threshold sebesar 4%. Hasil data Komisi Pemilihan Umum (KPU), PPP hanya memperoleh suara 5.878.777 atau 3,873% pada pemilihan umum 2024.

Tidak lolosnya PPP ke Senayan menjadi ironi bagi partai berlambang Ka'bah tersebut. Sebab, jika disandingkan dengan partai-partai lain, PPP sudah jauh lebih lama berkiprah di dunia politik Indonesia.

PPP partai yang dibentuk di masa Orde Baru sebagai bagian kebijakan fusi partai. Fusi partai adalah ide Presiden Soeharto untuk merampingkan partai-partai yang punya satu ideologis serupa.

Merujuk pada website resmi, PPP merupakan salah satu partai politik di Indonesia. PPP didirikan pada tanggal 5 Januari 1973 yang merupakan hasil Fusi atau gabungan dari empat partai berbasis Islam yakni Partai Nahdhatul Ulama, Partai Muslimin Indonesia (Parmusi), Partai Syarikat Islam Indonesia (PSII), dan Partai Islam Perti.

Partai ini dipelopori oleh KH Idham Chalid (Ketua Umum PB NU), H.Mohammad Syafaat Mintaredja (Ketua Umum Parmusi), SH, Haji Anwar Tjokroaminoto ( Ketua Umum PSII), Haji Rusli Halil (Ketua Umum Perti), dan Haji Mayskur (Ketua Kelompok Persatuan Pembangunan di DPR). Dengan hasil gabungan dari partai-partai besar berbasis Islam, maka PPP telah memproklamirkan diri sebagai "Rumah Besar Umat Islam".

Sejak berkuasa, Presiden Soeharto memang tak ingin ada banyak partai di Indonesia. Dia belajar dari era demokrasi terpimpin masa Soekarno saat keberadaan banyak partai terbukti tidak efektif. Saat itu, partai-partai yang ada malah saling menjatuhkan satu sama lain, sehingga stabilitas politik terganggu dan kebijakan negara tak terwujud.

Alhasil, Soeharto ogah masalah itu terjadi saat dia berkuasa. Maka, lahirlah ide fusi atau penyederhanaan partai.

Namun, ide tersebut tak langsung terwujud saat Soeharto berkuasa. Pada Pemilu pertama Orde Baru tahun 1971, semua partai apapun ideologinya masih bertanding. KPU pun menetapkan organisasi masyarakat, Golongan Karya (Golkar), memenangi Pemilu.

Dalam perspektif pemerintah, kemenangan Golkar bukan berarti situasi bakal aman. Pasalnya, menurut Andre Feillard dalam NU vis a vis Negara (1999), di Senayan bakal ada banyak partai lain yang bisa mengganggu jalannya pemerintahan.

Atas dasar ini, pemerintah melakukan intervensi kepada partai-partai, termasuk partai Islam yang eksis sejak masa Soekarno dan mewakili kelompok Islam, antara lain:

Intervensi tersebut berupa ikut campur pemerintah mengatur sosok ketua umum partai dalam pemilihan terbuka. Pemerintah menempatkan orang kepercayaan untuk mensukseskan langkah fusi partai.

Singkat cerita, hasil dari intervensi itu sukses menggabungkan partai-partai Islam tersebut menjadi satu wadah bernama Kelompok Persatuan Pembangunan pada Oktober 1972. Penamaan ini juga diatur oleh Soeharto yang tak ingin kelompok partai Islam menggunakan nama "Islamis."

Kelompok Persatuan Pembangunan itulah yang kelak berubah jadi Partai Persatuan Pembangunan (PPP) pada 5 Januari 1973. Selama Orde Baru berkuasa, PPP menjadi pilihan politik para tokoh Islam dan pendukungnya.

Selain PPP, kelompok lain yang terdampak fusi adalah golongan partai nasionalis, seperti Partai Nasional Indonesia (PNI), Partai Musyawarah Rakyat Banyak (Murba), Ikatan Pendukung Kemerdekaan Indonesia (IPKI) serta Partai Kristen Indonesia (Parkindo) dan Partai Katolik. Mereka bergabung menjadi Partai Demokrasi Indonesia (PDI).

Beranjak dari sini, PDI, PPP dan Golongan Karya saling berebut suara di tiap pemilu Orde Baru. Tentu, kita mengetahui selama berulangkali Pemilu terselenggara, tetap saja pemenangnya Golkar, disusul PPP dan PDI.

Di era reformasi, suara PPP juga harus berjuang dengan sengit karena ketatnya persaingan antar partai. Suara PPP terus turun dari 11,33 juta pada pemilu 1999 atau 10,71% menjadi 6,32 juta pada pemilu 2019 atau 4,52%.

Banyaknya partai baru serta pergeseran ideologi dan tren elektoral membuat suara PPP turun. Puncaknya adalah pada 2024 di mana PPP tidak lolos ke parlemen karena suaranya di bawah threshold yang ditentukan.

Hasil Pileg 2024, ada sepuluh partai politik gagal lolos ke DPR RI. Selain PPP, ada PSI, Perindo, Gelora, Hanura, Buruh, Ummat, PBB, Garuda, PKN.

Mengacu pada Undang-Undang Nomor 7 Tahun 2017 tentang Pemilu, partai politik yang gagal meraup sedikitnya 4 persen suara sah nasional tidak dapat mengonversi suaranya menjadi kursi di Senayan.