State AGs Investigating Apple For Allegedly Deceiving Customers

As the CEOs of the big platform tech giants prepare to sit for a (virtual) Congressional hearing later this month, that multiple states are investigating the consumer tech giant for allegedly deceiving customers, according to documents obtained by Axios.

The Cupertino-based tech behemoth is no stranger to investigations despite its sterling reputation. The company is already facing antitrust investigations from Democrats in the House, as well as the European Union (though a judge recently struck down a finding that would have forced Apple to pay billions of dollars in back-taxes to the government of Ireland.

States have also stepped up their scrutiny of Big Tech, and multi-state probes looking into Amazon and Google have already been announced.

AAPL shares sank on the news as tech cemented its position as the biggest laggard of the session.

Axios added that the Texas attorney general might sue Apple for violating the state’s deceptive trade practices law in connection with an investigation involving other states, according to the document, obtained by the Tech Transparency Project through a public records request and shared with Axios Thursday.

A spokesperson for Texas AG Ken Paxton’s office purportedly told Axios that it’s “A long-standing OAG policy” not to “comment on, confirm or deny any pending or potential investigations. It’s still not clear which other states might be involved. “