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EU approves legislation to regulate Apple, Google, Meta, and other tech firms

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Re: EU approves legislation to regulate Apple, Google, Meta, and other tech firms

#441

Post by Retric »

savingsPossible wrote: post #435
Retric wrote: post #384

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple annual gross profit for 2021 was $152 billion. That ~19B in 2020 is before CC fees on 64B or internal expenses. App stores have a lot of customer service and charge backs on relatively tiny purchases. Actually reviewing apps isn’t cheap either, and all the relevant IT adds even more expense. Further they upped the developers cut to between 70% and 85% from the flat 70% in 2020. So sure they might make 3-5 billi…

at 5%, cc fees would result 2.9 billion. So more like 16B in profit

> at 5%, cc fees would result 2.9 billion. So more like 16B in profit

So you assume they can do all the stuff I just mentioned for 0$ and changing their fee structure had no long term impacts on profits.

Also your math doesn’t work out if 5% of 64B = 3.2B, though 25% or 64B is 16B. Not that actual CC fees are 5%, or that their old revenue model is relevant any longer.

Re: EU approves legislation to regulate Apple, Google, Meta, and other tech firms

#442

Post by GlitchMr »

the_duke wrote: post #244

This regulation is 5+ years overdue, but legislation always lags behind market conditions. If the US/other countries follow suit there will probably be a big unintended effect though: the diminishing of open web standards and Google getting final say about what will work on "the web" and what won't. With Firefox diminishing, Safari is the last bastion against a Chromium-only web. There are lots of Chromium forks, but…

Apple will probably try to deal with requirement to not require developers to use WebKit by allowing alternate web browser engines in European Union only - a developer would be required to provide WebKit version of an application or else it would be only available in European Union. That wouldn't violate Digital Markets Act, as Digital Markets Act only applies to European Union.

Re: EU approves legislation to regulate Apple, Google, Meta, and other tech firms

#443

Post by judge2020 »

samatman wrote: post #406
caramelcustard wrote: post #297

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Disagreeing with your disagreement. How "easy" a tech-related task is to accomplish is determined by the users skills and experience, as well as software/hardware usage patterns that they've learned over the years. Official guides/tutorials for enabling/disabling various functions exist for Google Play/AppStore too. Does that mean that one of the easiest ways to acquire apps that have ever existed is...not easy? Beca…

I'm 100% confident that if Apple told EU they were complying with the new law, with a system where you either have to run only sideloaded apps or only official App Store apps at any given time, but could reboot from one to the other, the EU would say "very funny, here's your fine".

There is a developer mode[0] so maybe that's their angle; right now nothing changes for regular apps but I can see a future API where banks, competitive games, etc. check to make sure you're not running any sideloaded code (not that that's a big problem, as iOS 15 is still unjailbroken due to the extreme advancements in the OS security model).

0: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/xcode/enabling-dev...

Re: EU approves legislation to regulate Apple, Google, Meta, and other tech firms

#444

Post by dwaite »

rootusrootus wrote: post #264
_the_inflator wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Never underestimate the creative genius of Apple. They will come up with new solutions to keep their walled garden. "Allow users to install apps from third-party app stores and sideload directly from the internet" I bet this is going to be a horrible user experience. "Are you really sure?", "Apple takes no responsibility not warranty" whatsoever. What sound usually easy on paper...

I agree, it could be ugly. The GDPR is supposed to be great, but what practical impact did it have on most of us? Cookie consent dialogs everywhere .

Cookie consent is not compliant with GDPR - I need an ability to retract my consent as easily as I gave it, which zero of those sites actually provide.

If the EU ever actually starts enforcing GDPR, I expect a quick reckoning.

Re: EU approves legislation to regulate Apple, Google, Meta, and other tech firms

#445

Post by kmeisthax »

ksec wrote: post #305
cycomanic wrote: post #273

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can we stop pretending that Apple has the users best interest in mind? They just want to be the gatekeeper for lucrative applications/functions so they can charge for it. That they somehow convinced apple users that it's somehow in their interest just shows how good their marketing is.

>Can we stop pretending that Apple has the users best interest in mind? Well they did , at least during Steve Jobs's era.

Jobs didn't want apps on the iPhone at all and later insisted on having the App Store being the only way to distribute apps.

The only reason why we attribute today's Apple as "greedy" and not Jobs-era Apple as such is because you have fonder memories of him. Also, Jobs was a master of the reality distortion field and could explain things easier than today's Apple could. But none of that changes whether or not locked down devices are anticompetitive or not, just whether or not Apple's own fans are complaining about it.

Furthermore, there are pro-consumer justifications for Apple's uncompetitive behavior. In fact, that's Apple's whole defense against the antitrust inquiries it faces: the digital warlord's walled garden is for the protection of its serfs, and if the serfs don't like it they can surrender all their property and swear fealty to another digital warlord.

Re: EU approves legislation to regulate Apple, Google, Meta, and other tech firms

#446

Post by grishka »

veilrap wrote: post #388
grishka wrote: post #343

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> can't connect to any Apple online services whatsoever So what's the downside?

If you don't want to use Apple services, why are you buying an Apple device? These facetious arguments make no sense.

I use a Mac because the hardware is great and the software is least worst.

Re: EU approves legislation to regulate Apple, Google, Meta, and other tech firms

#447

Post by wmf »

criddell wrote: post #227
gamblor956 wrote: post #184

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not really similar. Sony, MS, and Nintendo already allow games to be purchased from other retailers, and always have. (See, for example, Game Stop, Best Buy, Target, etc.) Even digital downloads can be purchased from other retailers (i.e., Amazon). Thus, their in-console storefronts are just one of several options that players can use to purchase games. In contrast, the only way to get iPhone apps is through the App…

Sony gets a cut of every new PS5 game sold through all those third party vendors. Do you think the same setup on the iPhone would satisfy regulators? Roughly, this would mean Epic (for example), could set up an app store but every program they sell would have to be signed by Apple and Apple would probably still get their 15-30% fee. If the regulators are fair, then soon you will be able to write a PS5 or iPhone game…

That's similar to what Apple is already proposing; they want 25% from any payment that goes thought a third-party payment processor.

Re: EU approves legislation to regulate Apple, Google, Meta, and other tech firms

#448

Post by warning26 »

illuminati1911 wrote: post #188
warning26 wrote: post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Every single app creator out there will now want their own "app store" and it's going to be a mess. This is such an oft-repeated argument, yet overlooks that Android already allows sideloading and alternative app stores. If everyone-creating-their-own-app-store hasn't happened on Android, why would iOS be different?

Here in China there is like 800 app stores for Android.

Isn't the Play Store blocked in China? Seems like that would be the main reason for the proliferation of alternatives.

Re: EU approves legislation to regulate Apple, Google, Meta, and other tech firms

#449

Post by robonerd »

rootusrootus wrote: post #439
jacquesm wrote: post #345

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The impact is: far fewer data breaches in the EU than before, fewer of them wiped under the carpet, security no longer seen as a cost but as an important element in the IT strategy and with a seat at the table during design, operation and decommission (and in many cases: at the C level). On the whole the change has been remarkable, the last four years have seen a sea change in how corporations look at data, security…

That all sounds pretty rosy, and my BS-meter is pegged. I think it's just as likely that the corporations have figured out how to skirt the law and get everything they wanted anyway. > If all you associate with the GDPR is cookie consent dialogs then maybe these discussions are not for you? You realize that you are the unique one? Most people don't care about abstract concepts of digital privacy and just hit whatever…

[flagged]

Re: EU approves legislation to regulate Apple, Google, Meta, and other tech firms

#450

Post by samatman »

zackmorris wrote: post #334

Maybe fines like this could fund UBI? Society could vote on a number of measures designed to create a sustainable economy. For example, instead of carbon tax credits, we could just set a ceiling on carbon emissions and let companies pay the fine, then send direct payments to everyone. Or set a living wage of $20/hr and make companies directly responsible for paying the shortfall that the government makes up in welfar…

This is a terrible idea.

Do you want people rioting and demanding that companies not comply with regulations so they can buy food?

What other outcome could possibly come from this?

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