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Europe nearing Google antitrust charges

ft.com

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Re: Europe nearing Google antitrust charges

#2

Post by levemi »

I don't understand why Google gets attacked when at least you can install competing services and you can't on iOS. Why does iOS get a pass? If Google built the hardware itself it could lock it down all it wants? That's the reason? You can get Firefox on Android and not on iOS. You can replace almost anything, and on iOS you can't. You can disable many of the default apps on Android, I don't know if you can on iOS.

Re: Europe nearing Google antitrust charges

#3

Post by jodrellblank »

levemi wrote: post #2

I don't understand why Google gets attacked when at least you can install competing services and you can't on iOS. Why does iOS get a pass? If Google built the hardware itself it could lock it down all it wants? That's the reason? You can get Firefox on Android and not on iOS. You can replace almost anything, and on iOS you can't. You can disable many of the default apps on Android, I don't know if you can on iOS.

You can't install competing services on iOS? https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google-maps/id585027354?mt=8

You can't get FireFox on iOS? https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/firefox-web-browser/id989804...

Re: Europe nearing Google antitrust charges

#5

Post by levemi »

jodrellblank wrote: post #3
levemi wrote: post #2

I don't understand why Google gets attacked when at least you can install competing services and you can't on iOS. Why does iOS get a pass? If Google built the hardware itself it could lock it down all it wants? That's the reason? You can get Firefox on Android and not on iOS. You can replace almost anything, and on iOS you can't. You can disable many of the default apps on Android, I don't know if you can on iOS.

You can't install competing services on iOS? https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google-maps/id585027354?mt=8 You can't get FireFox on iOS? https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/firefox-web-browser/id989804...

That's not Firefox proper, that's a webview. Nobody can build an alternative browser for iOS. As for an example of competing services that can't be installed on iOS, look to f.lux.

Re: Europe nearing Google antitrust charges

#6

Post by ChrisClark »

jodrellblank wrote: post #3
levemi wrote: post #2

I don't understand why Google gets attacked when at least you can install competing services and you can't on iOS. Why does iOS get a pass? If Google built the hardware itself it could lock it down all it wants? That's the reason? You can get Firefox on Android and not on iOS. You can replace almost anything, and on iOS you can't. You can disable many of the default apps on Android, I don't know if you can on iOS.

You can't install competing services on iOS? https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google-maps/id585027354?mt=8 You can't get FireFox on iOS? https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/firefox-web-browser/id989804...

No, you can't get Firefox on iOS. You can sync bookmarks with Firefox and get a Firefox-style border around Webkit though. :(

Re: Europe nearing Google antitrust charges

#7

Post by moreira »

levemi wrote: post #2

I don't understand why Google gets attacked when at least you can install competing services and you can't on iOS. Why does iOS get a pass? If Google built the hardware itself it could lock it down all it wants? That's the reason? You can get Firefox on Android and not on iOS. You can replace almost anything, and on iOS you can't. You can disable many of the default apps on Android, I don't know if you can on iOS.

The problem, I believe, is the market share. If your OS is only on 3 or even 4 out of 10 phones, then you're not in a dominant position, and whatever you do, you're not abusing your market power, which is what antitrust is all about.

So Apple and their OSs will always be safe from this kind of thing because they're simply not the biggest player when it comes to market share.

Re: Europe nearing Google antitrust charges

#8

Post by digi_owl »

levemi wrote: post #2

I don't understand why Google gets attacked when at least you can install competing services and you can't on iOS. Why does iOS get a pass? If Google built the hardware itself it could lock it down all it wants? That's the reason? You can get Firefox on Android and not on iOS. You can replace almost anything, and on iOS you can't. You can disable many of the default apps on Android, I don't know if you can on iOS.

Because antitrust is about leverage. Using your position in one market to get an advantage in another. Apple is the only provider of hardware running iOS, so leverage do not play a part there.
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