Apple Has 'Very Serious' DMA Issues, EU to Enforce Rules 'Soon'

[WarmWinterHat]

LOL, why have they been telling other countries to adapt their regulations? You have the right to make your remarks but convincing others is not.

Like the US trying to export their DMCA and copyright laws to other countries via trade agreements?

 

[StyxMaker]

But they don't; they only are taking issue with products used/sold in their borders. It affects the rest of the world; because apple like having 1 version of things.

Then the fines should only be calculated based on the business Apple does inside the AU. Not based on their world wide business.

 

[boss.king]

Unlike you were here say seems to be the norm for this website.

So you have no source? Cool, I'm just going to stick with the facts we have in writing then. When you have something to contribute on that front, feel free to hit me up again and I'll re-evaluate my position. ✌️

 

[surferfb]

Folks -- you don't "pull out" of a market that's the size and importance of the EU

While I don’t think they will, and they’d be stupid to, the EU only makes up 7% of Apple’s App Store revenue, so probably not much more than that of their iPhone revenue.

The EU isn’t as big or important as they think they are.

 

[Chaos215bar2]

Apple needs to leave the EU

Sure. Leave one of the most valuable markets in the world over what amounts to a hissy fit. 🙄

I know it’s MacRumors, but you guys seriously need to get a little perspective here.

 

[The_Gream]

The only responsible thing to do in that they are mortally damaging everyone is to suspend all sales and services in the EU until the lawyer stuff is finished.

Well, at least on all things iOS and iPadOS.

Personally, I probably would have stopped selling any iPhones and iPads when they started talking about the USB-C requirements and DMA stuff. After a few years of no sales they wouldn’t have a gatekeeper status. But to make up for sells, I would have gone to every non-EU economic bloc country in the EU and offered them a nice deal/commission to set up shops on the borders.

 

[bousozoku]

If Apple complied with the letter and spirit of the law, there would be no fines.

If the legislature wasn't afraid to put specifics into the law, they wouldn't have to guess at the spirit of the law.

It's an interesting situation trying to get such divergent countries to agree to anything, except for punishing those companies that didn't originate within Europe's borders.

 

[prime17569]

I wish they would tell us how exactly Apple is noncompliant. They keep saying Apple is noncompliant without giving any details as to how that is so.

 

[leehericks]

I personally don’t plan on side loading apps. But at what point is Apple just going to have to open up iOS to be like macOS where I can download any app I wanted from any source without Apple involvement.

The phone is not a computer. Our lives now revolve around the phone. There is an incredible amount of personal information on them and we deserve to have an option which is focused on security and privacy. I think this is a failing of the EU. Require USB-C fine. But telling a company to open up their appliance to lose control of enforcing security and privacy is bad. If people want an open phone there are plenty of alternatives. Why should the rest of us who like our iPhones as they are suffer?

 

[boss.king]

If the legislature wasn't afraid to put specifics into the law, they wouldn't have to guess at the spirit of the law.

It's an interesting situation trying to get such divergent countries to agree to anything, except for punishing those companies that didn't originate within Europe's borders.

From what I hear from fairly prominent developers, many will tell you that that's exactly the same way Apple runs the app approval for the App Store. Very few specifics, just do the work, submit it, and see what happens. Kinda funny to see them get a taste of their own medicine.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I wish they would tell us how exactly Apple is noncompliant. They keep saying Apple is noncompliant without giving any details as to how that is so.

I'm sure they've told Apple, which is all that matters

 

[Beautyspin]

and Japan, India, and the US?

And UK, Brazil, Australia, and possibly China. Apple has nowhere to run to.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Then the fines should only be calculated based on the business Apple does inside the AU. Not based on their world wide business.

It doesn't honestly matter what it's based upon
They could just make it a higher fine rate and get the same general result

I'm just happy to see some teeth behind some of this for once

These companies always get fines that are so puny they don't act as a deterrent

 

[leehericks]

It's a no-brainer. The $0.50 CTF was completely non-compliant. Anybody with half a brain who read the text of the DMA knows this.

It's clear Apple wants to take this to the courthouse rather than legitimately abide by EU rules. I get it, Apple hates sideloading and alternative app stores because they lose that 30% cut. If Apple wants to play in the EU, they have to abide by the law.

It's not just the money. It's controlling the narrative of their product, including ensuring device/data security and privacy that many of us appreciate.

From the start, Apple offered developers the simplest and best system for developing on the iPhone without needing to do extensive accounting. APIs, documentation, yearly new technologies and eventually on custom silicon. Apple invests heavily in making the iPhone attractive to users and developers and small developers barely have to pay anything to jump in and start making and selling apps.

 

[jz0309]

I'm sure they've told Apple, which is all that matters

So why go on TV and make those statements? I don’t think they’ve given Apple specifics…

 

[macfacts]

if america would go to war for their oil companies, why not for their technology companies?

Apple doesn't pay any federal taxes, only property taxes to the municipal government. If apple wants government help, they should go to Ireland.

 

[Chungry]

Apple could have self-regulated. This isn’t some huge surprise. But hubris or who knows what else led them to where they are. They have no one but themselves to blame for all the ridiculous legislation they are now subject to. This was coming like 8-10 years ago. But institutionally for some reason they didn’t heed the warning signs that started in their dev community and amongst their biggest fans.

 

[JapanApple]

Like the US trying to export their DMCA and copyright laws to other countries via trade agreements?

I live in Japan not in the US. What about the rules Japan had to live applied to the UN Mainly the US after WW2? Not regulations including the "80 "90 business sector? Forgotten about that?

 

[Rainbow Apple]

Good! I'm not usually a fan of the EU, but if we're going to pay hundreds of dollars for a phone: We should own the phone. When Apple banned apps for political reasions (e.g. RT, Gab), they told us that we don't own our iPhones.

 

[turbineseaplane]

So why go on TV and make those statements? I don’t think they’ve given Apple specifics…

To address the public -- It's not an either/or on the communication on something like this

 

[bousozoku]

From what I hear from fairly prominent developers, many will tell you that that's exactly the same way Apple runs the app approval for the App Store. Very few specifics, just do the work, submit it, and see what happens. Kinda funny to see them get a taste of their own medicine.

Ever since the App Store existed, they've been forming the rules as they go.

They've let problematic apps out there because they didn't test them well. However, they've got employees all over the world who could be trying the apps in the various languages to see if there are problems. They still test better than Google, but that's not saying much.

If they could just put into law what is expected, no wishy-washy language with possible loopholes, Apple and everyone else would follow the law. Finding legislators with the guts to do the right thing may be impossible.

 

[Shirasaki]

Apple needs to leave the EU

And foot the permanent revenue loss by themselves. Got it.
Still waiting for that to happen.

 

[sleep/to/dream]

All of that is built into the cost of buying a $999+ iPhone.

Not yet, but they’ll be built into the cost of a $1099 iPhone, they need to make that profit back somewhere 😛

 

[sleep/to/dream]

That is true. But what will happen is that the cost of operating in the EU will rise, meaning lower margins, and to get margins back to pre-DMA levels, HW prices will increase.

Correct, if they can’t make that money from devs they’ll be getting it from us instead. We’ll all be subsidizing the large developers, whether we like their products or not

 

[Shirasaki]

and Japan, India, and the US?

By that point Apple might as well just close shop for good.
Or move to China? 🇨🇳
🙄
They haven’t made any move yet.