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Big Tech to EU: "Drop Dead"

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Re: Big Tech to EU: "Drop Dead"

#191

Post by KronisLV »

lucianbr wrote: post #162
paganel wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The ghouls in Brussels do not represent us all, they do not represent anyone, if we’re talking democracy. It’s a battle over clout and economic resources between whoever is backing these technocrats and some of the biggest corporations in the world, most of us EU citizens have a lot of more important worries on our minds.

> they do not represent anyone As a european citizen, I really wonder what allows you to speak in my name. How arrogant can you get?

Agreed. I live in Europe and while it has its issues, in general I'm not too displeased with it. The comment above seems to have an unnecessarily vile tone.

Re: Big Tech to EU: "Drop Dead"

#192

Post by SSLy »

detolly wrote: post #78

Does anyone know if the DMA would apply to Playstation? Shouldn't I be allowed to boot whatever software I want (Linux) on my PS5?

No, it doesn't. It was designed to work on more general purpose devices. And even then the EC is not investigating MS Sony or Nintendo as gatekeepers of their respective consoles.

Re: Big Tech to EU: "Drop Dead"

#193

Post by ben_w »

Cthulhu_ wrote: post #171
Scrapemist wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Switching is easy

Switching yourself is easy, but you can't expect everyone you interact with to switch too when they don't have a reason for it (and they have the same problem of getting all of their contacts to switch). If there's interop between the chat applications - and be honest, do any of them have a unique selling point that makes them significantly better to the average user? - then that restriction is lifted. It improves co…

> Switching yourself is easy, but you can't expect everyone you interact with to switch too when they don't have a reason for it (and they have the same problem of getting all of their contacts to switch).

Sure, but "the old one is no longer available" is absolutely going to get everyone to switch in the approximately 60 seconds it takes to go from the notification to having a new account.

I mean, Google basically does this every time they change the default Android messaging app (though in fairness they do get a huge advantage of already knowing all your contacts): https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/08/a-decade-and-a-half-...

Re: Big Tech to EU: "Drop Dead"

#194

Post by llm_trw »

binkethy wrote: post #175
llm_trw wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There were two revolutions in the US that changed its politic course significantly. The EU has always been a beurocracy first.

Bureaucracy. The EU is the European Union. 500 million humans. This legislation is a win for the common person. Trying to portray as foisted upon the public from on high = a propaganda twist too far.

So why not hold a referendum on it?

Re: Big Tech to EU: "Drop Dead"

#195

Post by l33tman »

fleshdaddy wrote: post #159
Cthulhu_ wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Uber should be worried, but also because they are no longer cheaper than the established competition (taxis) that already had the labour laws in place.

For me at least it’s not actually the price of the Uber but that I know what it will be up front. I wasn’t really taking cabs until uber was ubiquitous though so maybe that’s not the same for everyone.

Fortunately for us customers, it seems Uber catalyzed a transition among most other taxi companies as well to improve this. A bunch of local taxi companies here have apps that have the same features as Uber, where you can pay in the app and see where the cab is on its way to you etc. There are "OEM" taxi callcenter cloud services that small taxi companies can rent to get the uber experience for their fleet without any IT knowledge, each car gets an iPad with an ODB connection and you're ready to go.

Re: Big Tech to EU: "Drop Dead"

#196

Post by emptysongglass »

bryanrasmussen wrote: post #169
fleshdaddy wrote: post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For me at least it’s not actually the price of the Uber but that I know what it will be up front. I wasn’t really taking cabs until uber was ubiquitous though so maybe that’s not the same for everyone.

In Denmark taxis are great and are used all the time, but I think Uber is illegal here anyway so...

Taxis are not great here in Denmark, I don't know why you'd think to state this. They are also not "used all the time", instead used sparingly because of how outrageously expensive they are. Taxis are run by cartels here who have carved up Denmark amongst themselves. Drivers wait in queues, idling, and are paid to idle, sometimes dozens of cabs at a time. As a result, taxis in Denmark are some of the most expensive in the world.

Uber was banned here in Denmark because the taxi companies saw a threat to their easy money. Drivers wanted to drive independently and for a brief period where Uber was allowed to operate, competition flourished and prices came way down.

I'm not saying Uber is a good thing but pretending or even suggesting that the taxi companies are somehow an ethical or good alternative is absurd.

Re: Big Tech to EU: "Drop Dead"

#197

Post by formerly_proven »

Animats wrote: post #129

The EU is also grinding forward towards classifying all gig workers controlled by "platforms" as employees, with the platform subject to all employment laws. See "Improving working conditions of persons working through digital labour platforms "[1] Background: [2] Last vote in the European parliament: 554 votes in favour, 56 votes against and 24 abstentions. This is somewhat weakened but still stronger than anything…

Another angle: pension contributions. Pay as you go social security systems are of course extremely desperate for every cent they can get, and making self-employed people retroactively employees brings in big bucks.

Re: Big Tech to EU: "Drop Dead"

#198

Post by omnimus »

fleshdaddy wrote: post #159
Cthulhu_ wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Uber should be worried, but also because they are no longer cheaper than the established competition (taxis) that already had the labour laws in place.

For me at least it’s not actually the price of the Uber but that I know what it will be up front. I wasn’t really taking cabs until uber was ubiquitous though so maybe that’s not the same for everyone.

Taxis have apps now too you know. Like the experience is exactly the same as Uber. At least in european countries.

Re: Big Tech to EU: "Drop Dead"

#199

Post by cangeroo »

LAC-Tech wrote: post #60

Imagine a world in which the EU instead funded research & implementation of public protocols to undermine US big tech? IE, they mention chat clients in the text, why not create something in the spirit of XMPP (or even revive it if the technical merits remain relevant?) I can almost feel it in my bones that there's a protocol behind "feed" websites like twitter & linkedin. Break the walled garden with open standards.…

Are you saying that the problem of monopolies should not be solved through regulation, but by tax-funded public service alternatives?

Regulation tries to restore a free market by reducing barriers and allowing other companies to participate, such as in the app store market. Especially where limitations are not warranted, i.e. iPhone being hardware, the coupling with Apple's App Store is arbitrary and self-serving.

Re: Big Tech to EU: "Drop Dead"

#200

Post by emptysongglass »

malermeister wrote: post #152
pjerem wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The EU Parliament can’t make decisions, it can only veto the commission which acts as an unelected government (nominated by elected representatives of each country). But I agree with you that this idea of an undemocratic EU is rather false and really dangerous. Everyone feels like this because nobody understands that the commission don’t represent the interests of their country but those of all the European countries…

The Comission is appointed by directly elected governments, e.g. with one proxy in-between. It is as (un-) democratic as the American Presidency, considering the Electoral College. Yet you never hear complaints about the EC from the same types that love to rally against the Commission.

Actually, you do, all the time. Yes, they are both undemocratic institutions and that should be changed.
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