March 20 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Justice is

poised to sue Apple ( AAPL ) as soon as Thursday for allegedly

violating antitrust laws by blocking rivals from accessing

hardware and software features of its iPhone, Bloomberg News

reported on Wednesday.

The lawsuit, which is expected to be filed in federal court,

escalates the Biden administration's antitrust fights against

most of the biggest technology companies in the United States,

the report said.

The case marks the third time that the Justice Department

has sued Apple ( AAPL ) for antitrust violations in the past 14 years,

but is the first case accusing the iPhone maker of illegally

maintaining its dominant position, the report added.

Late in February, Bloomberg News had reported that Apple ( AAPL )

representatives met with Justice Department officials in a bid

to persuade the agency not to file an antitrust suit against the

iPhone maker.

Apple ( AAPL ) and a DOJ spokesperson did not immediately respond to

Reuters requests for comment.

Shares of the company were down 1.5% at $175.97 in extended

trading.