Friday☕️

22 Mar 2024 — 4 min read

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Justice Department vs Apple:

The Justice Department has initiated an antitrust lawsuit against Apple, accusing the company of unlawfully keeping control over its iPhone environment by excluding rival services. Apple has vowed to challenge the lawsuit, stating it undermines the company's core identity and the values that differentiate Apple's products in highly competitive markets. Apple argues that a win for the U.S. government in this case would not only impede its ability to innovate but also set a concerning precedent by allowing government intervention in technology design.
This legal action, supported by 16 state attorneys general, marks another instance of the U.S. government clashing with major technology firms. Efforts to limit the influence of Big Tech are evident, with ongoing lawsuits against Google for similar antitrust issues and against Amazon and META for allegedly breaching antitrust regulations.

U.S. Intel Funding:

On Wednesday, President Biden announced a support package for Intel, totaling nearly $20 billion in grants and loans. This financial boost, the largest the U.S. government has ever provided for cutting-edge chip manufacturing, aims to significantly increase Intel's semiconductor production within the country.
Specifically, the support includes $8.5 billion in grants and up to $11 billion in loans for Intel's operations in Arizona, which will be allocated towards the construction of two new facilities and the renovation of an existing one. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo described this investment as one of the most significant in the history of U.S. semiconductor manufacturing. With this subsidy program, the administration aims to boost the U.S. share of advanced chip production from 0% to 20% by 2030.

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