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Apple and Google’s mobile browser ‘stranglehold’ may face UK investigation

theguardian.com

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Re: Apple and Google’s mobile browser ‘stranglehold’ may face UK investigation

#41

Post by ThatPlayer »

scarface74 wrote: post #32
capableweb wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On iOS, it is about the browser, as Apple is acting anti-competitive by not allowing any other browser engines but their own. Browser makers can't compete with Safari by making a faster browser for example, because they won't be able to deploy it on iOS device. All applications go through the App Store, and the App Store forbids any browser engines not made by Apple. Regarding the app stores, it seems like lawmakers…

Does that include consoles and smart TVs?

If they get to the point of hurting competition, why not?

Re: Apple and Google’s mobile browser ‘stranglehold’ may face UK investigation

#42

Post by AndersSandvik »

neximo64 wrote: post #25

It's interesting to hear Apple always talk about the level playing field they've tried to create. From within the company i think they really believe they've got a level playing field. But then Apple has apps that can do much more than everyone else has access to, in ways that have nothing to do with security or privacy. - Apps access to NFC (e.g Apple Pay vs you being able to make your own nfc card) - Inability to h…

If you delete an Apple app and redownload it it will put itself on the homebar or first app page pushing your other apps away. Comman, they dont let other apps do that!

Re: Apple and Google’s mobile browser ‘stranglehold’ may face UK investigation

#43

Post by II2II »

tgv wrote: post #20
Aardwolf wrote: post #13

On Android I can install Firefox, Edge, other versions of these browsers from f-droid, and many other browsers, all with their own engines. On iPhones, afaik, you can only get Safari, or other browsers that are just a thin wrapper around Safari. That is a huge difference and I hope they know that.

What's wrong with a wrapper around Safari? It's a capable and efficient browser. Firefox can wrap its bookmark sharing and whatever around it (I actually use Firefox on iOS, though I don't bother with the profile sharing). We don't need Safari to be 100% Chrome compatible, right? That's just for lazy programmers and greedy marketeers.

The issue is that the dominant engine developer uses their market position to push their competitors out of the market or to define their own web standards. The former is what happened with IE in the late 1990's. The latter is what is happening with the Blink and V8 engines today.

As for 100% compatibility, most people will regard unexpected results as bugs or hindrances then switch to a compatible browser. You may be willing to deal with those incompatibilities. I may be willing to deal with those incompatibilities. Both of us are in the minority. Even technophiles who normally like playing with technology seem to stick to browsers based upon Chrome's engines (at least when given a choice) simply because too much of their life depends upon the browser.

Re: Apple and Google’s mobile browser ‘stranglehold’ may face UK investigation

#46

Post by grandchild »

TekMol wrote: post #33

Is there a mobile browser for iOS that supports uBlock Origin? On my Laptop, I get no YouTube ads. It seems uBlock Origin removes them. On my iPad, I get YouTube ads in an unbearable frequency. It seems there is no solution for this? How is the situation on Android?

I recently discovered a slight mitigation on the iPad re Youtube ads:

If you open a Youtube URL and the preview image looks like it's not the actual video but an ad -- wait. Wait for approximately the length of the ad, and the preview will switch to the actual video's preview (or the next ad, in which case, wait again) and you can then play the video.

(I think this is probably not intended behavior and I hope I'm not getting this "fixed" by posting this here :/)

/edit: I do this is on "Firefox" for iOS, though it probably shouldn't matter.

Re: Apple and Google’s mobile browser ‘stranglehold’ may face UK investigation

#47

Post by mgsk »

neximo64 wrote: post #25

It's interesting to hear Apple always talk about the level playing field they've tried to create. From within the company i think they really believe they've got a level playing field. But then Apple has apps that can do much more than everyone else has access to, in ways that have nothing to do with security or privacy. - Apps access to NFC (e.g Apple Pay vs you being able to make your own nfc card) - Inability to h…

Doesn’t invalidate your larger point, but 2FA code completion is available to all apps: https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=z0i801mg

Re: Apple and Google’s mobile browser ‘stranglehold’ may face UK investigation

#48

Post by mgsk »

tgv wrote: post #20
Aardwolf wrote: post #13

On Android I can install Firefox, Edge, other versions of these browsers from f-droid, and many other browsers, all with their own engines. On iPhones, afaik, you can only get Safari, or other browsers that are just a thin wrapper around Safari. That is a huge difference and I hope they know that.

What's wrong with a wrapper around Safari? It's a capable and efficient browser. Firefox can wrap its bookmark sharing and whatever around it (I actually use Firefox on iOS, though I don't bother with the profile sharing). We don't need Safari to be 100% Chrome compatible, right? That's just for lazy programmers and greedy marketeers.

I can’t use Firefox plugins on iOS.

Re: Apple and Google’s mobile browser ‘stranglehold’ may face UK investigation

#49

Post by alexklarjr »

TekMol wrote: post #33

Is there a mobile browser for iOS that supports uBlock Origin? On my Laptop, I get no YouTube ads. It seems uBlock Origin removes them. On my iPad, I get YouTube ads in an unbearable frequency. It seems there is no solution for this? How is the situation on Android?

On iOS, there is a free adguard app that besides general filters for safari (and whole os) let you block youtube ads by integrating into share button(“view with adguard”), I think they put js in there. On android, situation is dare. You have to use dns/vpn blocking or firefox with uorigin and still apps that use webpart can do whatever they want. But of course on android you can get hacked youtube app without ads.
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