Apple's restrictive new developer rules have attracted the attention of the Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department, according to anonymous sources cited by The Wall Street Journal and The New York Post.
The two federal agencies are currently in discussions to determine which of them will conduct the investigation, according to the publications. The agencies are interested in whether Apple's new rules for its application developers are anticompetitive.
Apple recently changed its license agreement to ban app developers from using third-party software to create applications, forcing developers to use Apple software. Apple also prohibited apps from sending analytical information to outside programs, affecting the ability of developers to effectively target ads built into applications.
Developers must agree to the new rules in order to download the software development kit for the iPhone OS 4.
Last week, Apple CEO Steve Jobs penned an open letter explaining in blunt terms why the company would not allow Adobe's Flash software to run on its devices.
Adobe CEO Shantan Narayen rebutted the charges, calling Job's claims that Flash drained batteries "patently false."