The U.S. government's massive antitrust lawsuit against Apple is expected to take years to resolve, but the iPhone maker's ongoing issues with European regulators may provide a preview of what American customers could experience in the future. The lawsuit aims to prevent Apple from unfairly competing with technologies that rival its own apps in areas such as streaming, messaging, and digital payments. The Department of Justice is also seeking to stop Apple from including language in its contracts that could help the tech giant maintain a monopoly. These are similar issues that Apple has been grappling with in Europe for years, as the European Commission has launched multiple antitrust cases against the company for violating competition laws and imposing tough digital rules.

One major issue in Europe has been Apple's restrictions on music streaming services like Spotify, which were unable to offer subscription payments through their iPhone apps or inform users of pricing and promotions via email. After a lengthy investigation, the European Union ordered Apple to stop these practices and imposed a hefty 1.8 billion euro fine. Additionally, Apple has proposed allowing third-party mobile wallet and payment service providers access to its tap and go payment function on iOS after facing accusations of abusing its dominant position.

The EU's Digital Markets Act has also forced Apple to open up its app marketplace on iPhones to third-party app stores, breaking up its closed ecosystem. This regulation aims to prevent tech companies from locking consumers into their products or services. As a result, Apple has had to allow users in Europe to download iPhone apps from stores not operated by the company, a move it had previously resisted. EU regulators had even considered questioning Apple over accusations of blocking Epic Games from setting up its own app store, but Apple eventually allowed the move.

These developments in Europe could foreshadow changes that U.S. Apple users may see in the future if the Justice Department's antitrust lawsuit is successful. The impact of these regulatory actions in Europe on Apple's business practices and user experience could provide insight into what lies ahead for American consumers.