Apple AirTags: Brand new tracking tool could be a case for the antitrust authorities

Apple's new AirTags ensure thick air.

A competitor raises serious allegations against the Californians and could cause the iPhone manufacturer a lot of trouble with the antitrust authorities.

Cupertino - Big dispute over a small gadget: Apple CEO Tim Cook presented his long-awaited AirTags on Tuesday evening. These are small tags for house keys, purses or rucksacks and are intended to enable objects to be located within Apple's "Where is" system. The fans of the iPhone manufacturer were delighted with the digital helpers. But among the competition, the displeasure with the accessories with apples is huge.

Apple's AirTags are in direct competition with trackers from the American start-up Tile.

Its CEO CJ Prober has been complaining about Apple's methods for more than a year and immediately followed up after Apple's AirTags presentation.

In an unflattering message, he welcomed competition - but only if it was fair.

In view of Apple's “well-documented history” of using its own platform unfairly to the detriment of the competition, he is skeptical.

"And considering our history with Apple, we think it is entirely appropriate that Congress takes a closer look at Apple's business practices," said Prober.

Apple AirTags: Is the iPhone Maker Making Life Too Difficult for the Competitor's App?

Tile accuses Apple of antitrust violations. In the course of the AirTag development, the tech giant from Cupertino has further developed its "Where is" function in a form that has similarities with the service from Tile and at the same time made the activation of tile trackers more complicated by adapting the operating system. Tile users would have to regularly allow the app to run in the background, while other apps only require one-time permission. In addition, the iPhone manufacturer poached a Tile employee, Kirsten Daru, chief lawyer of the start-up, complained in a hearing a year ago.

Apple responded to CJ Prober's renewed allegations the day after its product event with its own statement: The "Where is" network was introduced more than a decade ago - long before Tiles entered the market - to help users to find lost devices locate and manage.

Since then, the network has been constantly expanded and even opened to third-party providers.

Public showdown between Apple and Tile in court - just one day after the AirTags release

At the beginning of April, Apple also opened its “Wo ist” network to third-party providers and cooperated with Tiles' competitor, Chipolo ONE Spot, among others - also to take the wind out of the sails of the competition, speculates the technology portal

. Meanwhile, Tile continues to insist on using its own app to locate objects and feels significantly disadvantaged due to Apple's market power, it is said.

On Wednesday there was a public showdown of the two companies before the American Congress - on a different, but very similar matter. A hearing before the Senate dealt with competition issues relating to Apple and Google's app stores. In addition to Tile and Apple managers, representatives of the dating company Match and the music service Spotify also spoke. The latter had already initiated antitrust proceedings against Apple by the EU Commission in 2020. Apple's app store business practices are meanwhile the subject of another spectacular legal dispute between the iPhone builder and video game giant Epic Games. The allegations are similar to the other cases. The trial is scheduled for May 3rd.