EU negotiators agree new rules to rein in tech giants

Post by oxplot » Fri, Mar 25, 2022, 2:36 PM UTC

toyg wrote: post #217

chmod775 wrote: post #14

> mandates to allow users to install apps from third-party platforms Some people at Apple are getting a headache right now. Other companies that have been dabbling with the idea to lock down their OS probably too. If this happens my next phone might even be an iPhone.

Apple literally begged for this hammer to fall, ignoring calls for openness for 15 years and openly mocking efforts to get them to play ball (like the recent Dutch case, to which they responded by amending rules on dating apps , blatantly ignoring the spirit of the ruling). I expect they employ enough smart people that they prepared for this moment of reckoning despite the hubris of their leadership.

Post by native_samples » Fri, Mar 25, 2022, 2:37 PM UTC

sofixa wrote: post #139

makomk wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The GDPR had consequences that were both wider and wilder than even its most aggressive critics predicted at the time, such as making it illegal for the banking system to continue using their existing EBCDIC-based systems: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28986735 The HN discussion was also full of comments about how the bank should've changed its systems already because it had ample time to come into compliance…

That's a wild edge case. And yes, a bank or whoever should be able to note your real name. It's the banks' problem for using obsolete things, not a GDPR problem.

Post by arunkant » Fri, Mar 25, 2022, 2:43 PM UTC

ericmay wrote: post #213

dane-pgp wrote: post #210

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's difficult for an iPhone user to notice that apps they might want aren't available (unless they search the web and find references to an Android-only app that does what they want), but, even more so, it's very expensive for users to buy a new Android phone just to use that one app. Equally, when someone is considering buying a phone, they are unlikely to compare the lists of apps available for each platform when…

Similar logic can be applied when comparing app stores. Users aren't going to compare Company XYZ app store with Apple's app store line-by-line to see how they're missing out on having their data hoovered up for ads or other purposes. App Stores have high switching costs too. Apps won't be available on different stores, that would defeat the entire purpose of having the third-party store for the company wanting to es…

Post by zaik » Fri, Mar 25, 2022, 2:51 PM UTC

spiffytech wrote: post #209

zaik wrote: post #206

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> but that means your phone's radio can never enter low power mode, hurting battery life. This problem has been solved by https://xmpp.org/extensions/xep-0352.html

> Version 1.0.0 (2020-10-14) Glad to see it's being addressed, but: - The proposal is stable, but not finalized - 13 years is a long time to wait for a solution (iPhone debuted in 2007, got apps in 2008) - Plus however long it takes for implementations to adopt this - Plus whether they adopt it at all, since this is a protocol extension and not a protocol requirement. The XEP requires client-server cooperation, which…

Post by ericmay » Fri, Mar 25, 2022, 2:54 PM UTC

itg wrote: post #242

ericmay wrote: post #214

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If we're going to continue to be pedantic about this, I live in America so I couldn't care less. -edit- As a general shareholder I care. But in that area I think Apple will figure out a solution that keeps the status quo. They're #1 for a reason.

YOU live in America, Apple operates worldwide. And the USA has plenty of bills in the pipeline targeting the same issues. Apple won't have their cake and eat it too.