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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

#491

Post by Deukhoofd »

judge2020 wrote: post #415
saurik wrote: post #257

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Allow developers to integrate their apps and digital services directly with those belonging to a gatekeeper. This includes making messaging, voice-calling, and video-calling services interoperable with third-party services upon request. I would think this requirement is satisfied merely by providing a public API / protocol documentation for your protocol, to allow for third-party access and integration, not some we…

They already do this to an extent[0], but maybe they're trying to make iMessage interop with RCS by force. 0: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/callkit

Let's be real, within the EU the main communication platform is WhatsApp. This is very much aimed there, as that is most definitely not a public API.

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

#492

Post by threeseed »

zeroonetwothree wrote: post #322
dijit wrote: post #274

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Has there ever been a console where, over the life of the console, the hardware was sold for a loss? All of them. Speaking about PS5 specifically: there's quite a few advancements in there that you're not thinking about, the kraken decompressor that can run at native NVME speed in hardware and load assets directly into video memory has no PC equivalent. Though PC vendors are trying to do NVME GPUMem these days, it…

The article says the $1600 PC has “double the graphical power”. Consoles are certainly a good deal at the low end of gaming. If you want high framerates and resolution they won’t do it for you.

4K and 120Hz are available on a number of games at least on PS5.

Most people don't have TVs that can go any higher.

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

#493

Post by tsimionescu »

ttul wrote: post #294

> Allow users to install apps from third-party app stores and sideload directly from the internet. While I love the idea of being able to finally install SNES emulators and the like, many malicious actors will now pray on unsuspecting iOS users to install spyware, malware, and other crap via third-party app stores. Not everyone is as sophisticated as the typical Hacker News reader; younger and more naive users will b…

> I submit the example of cryptocurrencies. Lots of freedom; very little regulation; many vulnerable people have lost their savings.

And yet the solution isn't for your bank to white-list what you're going to do with your money, is it? This would be the equivalent of the app store: your bank would have a "transaction store" of companies you're allowed to send and receive money from, to protect you from accidentally sending money to a scammer.

Do you think that would be a good solution for banking? If not, why do you think it is a good solution for software distribution?

Instead of course, the right solution is legislate against the bad actors, and have law enforcement agencies that take malware seriously and pursue those who have created it. Additionally, educating the public, at least with mandatory courses in school for the new generations, about basic computer safety is another part of the fix for this.

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

#494

Post by bryanrasmussen »

hyperpape wrote: post #175

There's several very good provisions in this legislation (3rd party payment processors, non-preferential treatment for 1st party apps), there are several that have a mix of upsides and downsides (sideloading is one--I personally like knowing that Facebook can't ask people to sideload some privacy destroying crap on iOS). Then there's: - Allow developers to integrate their apps and digital services directly with those…

>Apps will use near-field communication technology and other mechanisms to track us

Ok, well, the EU mandates opening up this tech to apps, some apps then violate GDPR in various ways leading to big fines for those apps.

Now someone is going to say fines with GDPR have not been big enough, but I think they are slowly increasing (because really that is typical gov. policy, don't go in with big fines, start small, and later when hitting big you can say but we have been very reasonable), and also, just maybe the fines for people moving into a new field with predatory tracking from the get-go will get the big fines and be shut down quick.

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

#495

Post by threeseed »

Hamuko wrote: post #126
ajaimk wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While I want this to be true, consoles only exist because of game revenue. Not sure a $2000 PS5 is as appealing

The PS5 hardware is already profitable (well, the more expensive one at least). Well, it was before the inflation ramped up at least. But still, even if sideloading was possible on the PS5, PlayStation Store revenue would not dip down to nothingness. https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/ps5-turning-profit-sony...

But Playstation Store revenue would be decimated by piracy.

This isn't conjecture we know for a fact it will happen as we see on PCs.

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

#496

Post by iamtheworstdev »

n8cpdx wrote: post #417
vivegi wrote: post #365

I love this just for these three rules: > Allow users to install apps from third-party app stores and sideload directly from the internet. > Allow developers to offer third-party payment systems in apps and promote offers outside the gatekeeper's platforms. > Ensure that all apps are uninstallable and give users the ability to unsubscribe from core platform services under similar conditions to subscription. and restr…

People don’t choose iPhone because they want those things, they choose iPhone because they want to be protected from them. Look at the Lumenate app that was just on hacker news yesterday: - Android users are complaining about having to create an account to use it - iOS users just pushed a button and didn’t even have to share their email or make a password - iOS users who subscribe have one place to manage their subsc…

i literally have never chosen an iphone for that reason and no know one who has.

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

#497

Post by threeseed »

seydor wrote: post #395
inlined wrote: post #389

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Millions of people downloading .exe files everywhere are why we have an infosec industry. I trust indie developers on the App Store because of the restrictions and the review process. I’ll never side load a small developer’s app. And I worry that major players (I.e. Facebook) will require side loading so they can be free of the App Store rules about privacy.

infosec, like defense (stuff like the internet and apollo missions) are how humanity progresses. Power plays always keep us behind

How has malware, viruses, botnets, phishing etc progressed humanity ?

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

#498

Post by colinmhayes »

cycomanic wrote: post #273
hyperpape wrote: post #175

There's several very good provisions in this legislation (3rd party payment processors, non-preferential treatment for 1st party apps), there are several that have a mix of upsides and downsides (sideloading is one--I personally like knowing that Facebook can't ask people to sideload some privacy destroying crap on iOS). Then there's: - Allow developers to integrate their apps and digital services directly with those…

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.

That’s not what people are saying though. Whether or not apple cares about its users is completely irrelevant. The question is whether apples incentives align with its users better than other tech companies. The answer pretty clearly seems to be yes, apple makes most of its money by selling hardware, their incentive is to make a product people enjoy. Competitors make most of their money selling ads, their incentive is to lock users in while maximizing the number and effectiveness of ads served.

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

#499

Post by summerisle »

threeseed wrote: post #476
depressedpanda wrote: post #313

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> For someone who doesn't have a personal Android phone, what useful software is out there that I can get on an iPhone? A web browser that isn't a hamstrung reskin of Safari, and that can run uBlock Origin.

You do understand that uBlock Origin has private, profit-generating relationships with advertisers. And you want them to have full access to every URL that you visit ? Rather than use AdGuard or any other ad-blocker that can't go and sell your data to third parties for money.

That's uBlock you were thinking about, which is owned by AdBlock. I'm 98.9% certain that Raymond Gorhill's project which I can build from source and install is not doing that.

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

#500

Post by SSLy »

bushbaba wrote: post #97
kitsunesoba wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google already does this in its iOS apps. When tapping a link in e.g. Gmail, it won’t just open your default browser, but instead open a menu asking you to choose your default browser or Chrome. It has a “remember this choice” toggle but it shouldn’t be there at all… just obey the OS default browser setting.

Worse they don’t open the link in safari. Instead it’s a view in the gmail app so they can continue tracking your engagement.

Facebook with all their apps and discord are guilty of this too
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