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

consilium.europa.eu

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

#301

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…

And for privacy conscious users and other business competitors:

> But they can no longer reuse private data collected during a service for the purposes of another service.

I hope this is applied retrospectively (for even data gathered before the DMA was legislated and came into effect).

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

#303

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…

It depends on how much the Republicans have started to like on Apple and Google again, there's no way a European Union starving for gas come winter-time would impose a 10-20% cut of the turnover to two out of the 4 biggest US companies. I say Republicans because most probably they'll steamroll the Dems in November.

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

#304
post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

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.

This argument keeps on popping up, but I don't really understand why. Apple themselves already have a platform that's had a reputation of reliability and "just works" that is not a walled garden in most of the ways the digital markets act intends to prevent: the Mac. There's no evidence the the qualities of Apple products are strongly linked with them being walled gardens. Your iPhone will be fine.

(Macs may not be as "just works" as iPhones, sure. I've personally seen that too many times. But computers are also intended to be more flexible and complicated in operation than smartphones, and regardless of personal anecdotes Apple is still widely regarded as building the most "just works" general purpose computers. And whatever faults Macs have, you'd be hard pressed to argue that if only the Mac was more of a walled garden that things would be better.)

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

#305
post #81

It blows my mind how many people have bought into Apple's position on this. No, Apple restricting your freedom does not afford you greater security. You, as an adult, can choose not to install shady software. If you're not confident in your ability to tell shady from legit, just stick to the App Store. Don't demand that Apple treat the rest of us like children just because that's how you would like to be treated.

> You, as an adult, can choose not to install shady software. For some reason every Linux user assumes everyone is as smart as they are and anyone who doesn't take the time to learn whatever esoteric config file to manage their DE is a child that can't tell left from right. Somehow the decade of directed scams and proliferation of malware and spyware isn't a problem and it's the developers "right" to be able to turn…

To your first point: I find it telling that your main concern with reducing Apple's monopoly power is that it would elevate Facebook's monopoly power. How about we design regulations that mitigate against monopoly power in all its forms? Then there would be viable alternatives to Facebook and all of the sudden their business model based on hostile tracking becomes completely unsustainable because there's meaningful competition that actually respects their users. We don't need to be serfs.

To your second point: Apple exerts influence far beyond their consumers. Even though I'm sure this isn't news to you, I'll still point you toward some interesting articles:

https://proton.me/blog/apple-app-store-antitrust

https://lapcatsoftware.com/articles/unsigned.html

Much of this is invisible to the typical resident of the walled garden, but they actually cause a lot of harm to society because of their market dominance. Anybody with a small child is probably aware of the harmful effects of the "dreaded green bubbles" (I'm sure people will try to counter this point with claims that iMessage is somehow more secure / more functional than other protocols. I invite those people to do some research first. I think you'd be surprised at the gulf between your own understanding of iMessage's security vs. reality).

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

#306
post #259

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a Chrome user I feel obligated to defend my use as: "I like it the most." As long as Google continues to offer a better experience, I don't mind them dominating the market. *As long as they don't use anticompetitive practises to prevent competition.* IE, backed by the most powerful tech company on the planet (at the time), used to be 95% of the internet. If IE can fall, so can Chrome.

This means, if blink/chromium does come to dominate, means an end to the open web. Be very careful what you wish for.

No post body was provided.

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

#307
post #269
post #249

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Oh please spare me this crap Someone else's opinion isn't 'crap'. Like what you have proffered, is as much an opinion as the OP.

I actually provided some cons, unlike OP.

No post body was provided.

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

#308
post #128
post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a very myopic view of what it’s like for the elderly and less tech savvy. Most aren’t capable of telling the difference and yet they constantly find themselves unknowingly getting scammed. I take it you’ve never had to clean out a horribly malware infested computer for a mother-in-law before?

While this is certainly a problem, I don't accept it as an argument for why we all have to be locked in the walled garden. Just add a system setting that controls the walls. Let people disable it if they want, and tell your mother-and-law to never ever disable it no matter what. If you're worried that they'll be tricked into disabling it, then they probably should not be in control of a bank account or anything else…

You don’t have to be locked into a walled garden! You don’t have to buy an iPhone.

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

#309

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…

It depends on how much the Republicans have started to like on Apple and Google again, there's no way a European Union starving for gas come winter-time would impose a 10-20% cut of the turnover to two out of the 4 biggest US companies. I say Republicans because most probably they'll steamroll the Dems in November.

Considering these giants pay very little tax and employ very small numbers in the European tech sector, "there is way" indeed.

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

#310

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…

> After the Act is signed by the Council and the European Parliament in September

Lol. The encryption keys being shared with security services bits have political cover. Not the rest. It’s surprising European legislation doesn’t yet have a reconciliation process, to prevent this sort of burying-the-lede gambit.

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