It is claimed that Apple's management has been well aware of, and has deliberately sustained, the App Store's monopoly status for numerous years, even in the face of antitrust risks. In late February of this year, shareholders initiated legal action against Apple's top brass, accusing directors and officers—Tim Cook among them—of violating their fiduciary responsibilities by permitting and aiding monopolistic behavior for more than a decade. The lawsuit primarily focuses on App Store-related policies as the main point of contention and cites several prior antitrust lawsuits. Presently, Apple is embroiled in a legal dispute with the U.S. Department of Justice, with the case advancing at a sluggish pace due to Apple's tactics of evasion and delays in supplying information. Furthermore, in October 2025, executives from Google and Alphabet, YouTube's parent company, settled similar allegations for $500 million.