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EU Digital Markets Act, aimed at Google, Apple, Amazon, approved

consilium.europa.eu

341–350 of 1001 posts

Re: EU Digital Markets Act, aimed at Google, Apple, Amazon, approved

#341

I'm not sure how I feel about this. My gut instinct is that opening these things can lead to a ton of malware and fake app stores, which will lead to a not-insignificant number of people being victimized. I'm also annoyed that the EU produces effectively 0 innovative tech, and subsequently has very suppressed tech salaries, but is so ready to regulate the American companies that make the world go 'round.

It's worth noting that Android already allows such things and there has been no malware apocalypse. In all the years Android existed I've never encountered someone with a malware filled phone. People stick with the default app store and are fine. Agree about the EU though.

The entire history of Android is filled with malware stories. Google has gotten better about moderating their PlayStore, but there have been plenty of flashlight apps or similarly dumb apps that are just rootkits, bitcoin miners, or more malicious forms of malware.

Re: EU Digital Markets Act, aimed at Google, Apple, Amazon, approved

#342

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s not a popular opinion around here, but the reason I like my iPhone is _because_ it’s a walled garden. It just works, reliably, without surprises, for years on end.

Well, as an average iPhone user, no. The reliability is mediocre. Keyboard crashing, UI glitching and having wrong dimensions/inoperable sections, occasionally deciding that minimum brightness is the only allowed value and being entirely unresponsive to the brightness slider, some days using waaaay more battery with no battery accounting, sometimes requiring a reboot to use a Qi charger, occasionally freezing and dro…

Take it to an Apple Store and have it replaced. Seriously, that isn’t a normal experience.

Re: EU Digital Markets Act, aimed at Google, Apple, Amazon, approved

#343

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The apparent desire for paternalism unnerves me. I find the EU imposing these conditions, under threat of force, on Apple that sells a product that people are free to buy or not buy, much more paternalistic than anything Apple does.

That is the role of governments. Europeans made the EU for this and similar purposes.

EU isn't a government. "Europeans" do not elect members of the European parliament. Finally, I would argue that the reasons for forming what became the EU, back in late 40s and 50s last century, were completely different from what we have today.

Re: EU Digital Markets Act, aimed at Google, Apple, Amazon, approved

#344

Very good. Even politicians can do a good thing every once in a while. Now, can we get rid of hardware remote attestation and impossible-to-unlock bootloaders please?

I am not sure that's a good idea. Now phones are rarely stolen. I would not like to come back to time when you get mugged for your phone. (1st hand experience)

You can still have FRP with an unlockable bootloader. Just place the unlock bootloader button after the forced Google login so that even if you factory reset the phone you cannot unlock the bootloader without the Google account.

In fact that is how most phones (that still have an unlockable bootloader) do it, the button is in the developer options which if you reset the phone you cannot get to without having access to the linked Google account.

Re: EU Digital Markets Act, aimed at Google, Apple, Amazon, approved

#345
post #190

Why is the EU able to pass pro-consumer laws, but America unable to? Are big tech companies just unable to properly bribe the European Union like they do the American Government?

EU-based *aaS companies are practically nonexistent relative to US-based ones, so there's basically nothing holding them back from passing bills like this one gerrymandered to (i) companies with a global market cap above €75B, (ii) with 45 million European users, (iii) and an included web browser or messaging app. If they had companies satisfying those criteria, they'd certainly see more pushback. I personally like t…

So it's basically thinly veiled protectionism.

Re: EU Digital Markets Act, aimed at Google, Apple, Amazon, approved

#346
post #320

This is easily one of the most expansive Acts regarding computing devices passed in my lifetime. The summary is in the link. As an iPhone user, this will enable me to: * Install any software * Install any App Store and choose to make it default * Use third party payment providers and choose to make them default * Use any voice assistant and choose to make it default * User any browser and browser engine and choose to…

While I am in the camp of apple allowing side-loading, i am not a fan of monopolistic regulations like this. It opens all kind of questions, like 1. What devices have to comply? 2. Who decides what device has to comply? Should playstation open their system too. What about a niche bank transaction signing device that internally uses an android capable hardware. Is this illegal now? 3. What about a car infotainment sys…

Sony's market capitalization exceeds €75bn (the threshold over which the regulation applies).

Re: EU Digital Markets Act, aimed at Google, Apple, Amazon, approved

#347
post #218

Oh please spare me this crap. This isn't true at all. I knew this was bs before switching to iphone but I was optimistic. Apple AirPlay is just pure trash, so I have to use chromecast. My Apple watch keeps bugging out and notifying me few minutes late and requires restart of both devices. The device keeps connecting to open networks while my remembered home network is available. The camera lens has issues with glare…

All my experiences with Apple have been far below the expectations set by "it just works".

For example, don't use an Apple smartwatch to keep time (the clock will fall behind and stay there, even after interacting with the display to "wake" it up.)

The "Pencil 2" stylus they sell for iPads can't be used exclusively. (E.g. activating the "Command Center" requires you use your finger.)

They build advertisements into the OS (very notable if you don't use iCloud) and reset preferences willy-nilly (such as if you have iMessage disabled.)

I hope more people talk about these issues, I'd love to see Apple pressured to make meaningful improvements.

Re: EU Digital Markets Act, aimed at Google, Apple, Amazon, approved

#348
post #100

This is easily one of the most expansive Acts regarding computing devices passed in my lifetime. The summary is in the link. As an iPhone user, this will enable me to: * Install any software * Install any App Store and choose to make it default * Use third party payment providers and choose to make them default * Use any voice assistant and choose to make it default * User any browser and browser engine and choose to…

Interestingly enough, an iPhone that complies with these demands is actually the first iPhone I'd ever consider paying for. I wonder if this might actually increase adoption.

Same although replaceable batteries would make it even more compelling. I enjoyed the early Motorola android phones because they were phones rather than jewelry and they also kept them lightweight.

Re: EU Digital Markets Act, aimed at Google, Apple, Amazon, approved

#349
post #114

This is easily one of the most expansive Acts regarding computing devices passed in my lifetime. The summary is in the link. As an iPhone user, this will enable me to: * Install any software * Install any App Store and choose to make it default * Use third party payment providers and choose to make them default * Use any voice assistant and choose to make it default * User any browser and browser engine and choose to…

> User any browser and browser engine and choose to make it default Hello, Alphabet world domination. They finally get the chance to get rid of that pesky Safari. Next stop: obligatory sign-in for using a service.

Hello, Alphabet world domination. They finally get the chance to get rid of that pesky Safari. Next stop: obligatory sign-in for using a service.

I bet that Chrome adoption on iOS remains under 25% forever. People just don't care which browser they use so long as the default one works. Safari isn't so bad that people are desperate to replace it.

Re: EU Digital Markets Act, aimed at Google, Apple, Amazon, approved

#350
post #320

This is easily one of the most expansive Acts regarding computing devices passed in my lifetime. The summary is in the link. As an iPhone user, this will enable me to: * Install any software * Install any App Store and choose to make it default * Use third party payment providers and choose to make them default * Use any voice assistant and choose to make it default * User any browser and browser engine and choose to…

While I am in the camp of apple allowing side-loading, i am not a fan of monopolistic regulations like this. It opens all kind of questions, like 1. What devices have to comply? 2. Who decides what device has to comply? Should playstation open their system too. What about a niche bank transaction signing device that internally uses an android capable hardware. Is this illegal now? 3. What about a car infotainment sys…

the first two are very important questions. For example, if I make $500 “unhackablePhone”, where it literally doesn’t run web apps and every app is vetted by top-talent security researchers for weeks, and then I sell billions of these devices, do I then have to open up the ecosystem to allow anyone to be able to take a phone, punch in the passcode, and install a third party App Store? This is synonymous with the current iPhone situation as many people only buy it for the benefit of Apple screening everything that can run on their phone, albeit at a lower security level where some mistakes are fine assuming Apple almost never allows known exploits to exist on the most up-to-date iOS release.
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