Apple Sued by U.S. Department of Justice, Says Lawsuit is 'Wrong'

[Beautyspin]

Meanwhile, many developers are fine with 15%/30% cut and most customers are fine with a single App Store to find all of their apps.

As usual, gov trying to control someone else's success for no reason. Huge overstep.

Meanwhile billions of users are fine with Apple being sued by governments all over the world for anti-competitive practices and fine with having multiple stores on iOS.

As usual, Apple defends rent seeking and touting it as their legitimate right. /s

 

[AHDuke99]

I am not sure how the App Store is hurting the consumer, and that is what you focus on when it comes to antitrust litigation. I'd argue being forced to download multiple App Stores will make the consumer experience worse.

 

[bcortens]

Yes really. Had iOS/iPadOS used third party app stores, apps wouldn't have followed guidelines. guidelines that translated well to other platforms like tvOS/visionOS (ex: minimum 44pt x 44pt button sizes that ended up being comfortable enough for visionOS customers to tap using their eyes and hands)

If forcing apps to follow good UX and privacy guidelines was the primary way Apple used it's power you might have a point, given that Apple mostly seems to use its power to extract maximum monetization out of its platform I don't really think your point has as much merit.

 

[sw1tcher]

Got something to back up this claim?

Mobile developer here with apps and games on iOS and Android. For our Android side we use a service that distributes our apps out to all the different third party app stores between the Samsung store and a bunch of similar regional / brand specific stores. We make roughly 99% of our revenue from Google Play.

I am totally fine with Apple and Google's 15% / 30% cut because that's where the customers are. Sure, some of these other Android stores offer better rates, but, uhh, who cares about saving 5% on $17 worth of sales? It's irrelevant comparatively.

It's made no sense to me why Apple has been fighting this hard, as iOS with third party App Stores will be the same. There will be no noticeable migration of users to other platforms and any money lost would be a rounding error.

So your answer to my question is "No"

 

[scorpio vega]

There is no need to open iOS up. The main ppl whining are not iOS users lol.

 

[truthsteve]

Not really or there wouldn't be such large traction....

not really what?

 

[Dan From Canada]

I love Apple products but their business practices are reminiscent of Microsoft in the 90s.

 

[truthsteve]

So you can install any app on a mac.... and its not a infested domain of the world.

So............

Already proven thats not really what happens.

Apple sells billions of iPhones.

 

[contacos]

and it is going to be years to go anywhere. Google is only going to trial in September for its Ad Business and they have been sued years (?) ago

 

[spercharged69]

So your answer to my question is "No"

This sentiment is shared with literally every other developer I've ever talked to about it in the last 16 years of developing mobile software.

 

[Agent007]

I hope they get spanked. As evil as corporations get.

 

[scorpio vega]

Here come the Apple defender squad.

Won’t somebody please think of the trillion dollar companies!

Again the only ones whining about this are mainly android users trying to make iOS into android.

It’s sickening

 

[clayj]

The Department of Jerks was wrong back in the 1990s and they are wrong now.

 

[avkills]

Yes really. Had iOS/iPadOS used third party app stores, apps wouldn't have followed guidelines. guidelines that translated well to other platforms like tvOS/visionOS (ex: minimum 44pt x 44pt button sizes that ended up being comfortable enough for visionOS customers to tap using their eyes and hands)

And those apps would not be popular and die. Apple can still have all the guidelines they want. How many apps break the guidelines for OS X?

Apple can still have their own App Store. I don't think the Government can force Apple to ship iPhones with pre-installed 3rd party App Store fronts. If that is what they end up trying to do, then the people need to rally and tell Congress how wrong they are.

Allowing other app stores is not going to suddenly break how any of Apple's products work together.

 

[reyesmac]

The way Apple keeps tight control over its entire company and software ecosystem is eventually going to hit a wall when it enters the real world. As a small player it can operate that way, but once it crosses companies who have senators and congressmen at their beck and call, it's going to realize they play by a different set of rules. In a perfect world most companies wouldn't be getting away with half of what they do. The rise of Apple is one of the reasons prices have gone artificially up in consumer devices and not down as was they way before they started dominating that market. But in the world we live in now, nothing will come out of this except a few law firms will make more money.

 

[contacos]

I am not sure how the App Store is hurting the consumer, and that is what you focus on when it comes to antitrust litigation. I'd argue being forced to download multiple App Stores will make the consumer experience worse.

These lawsuits and rules (DMA in the EU) are never related to the consumers! Even if MR keeps talking about themselves. It is about one big business hindering smaller businesses from having even the potential of being successful simply for the nature of the big player being "too big".

 

[truthsteve]

If forcing apps to follow good UX and privacy guidelines was the primary way Apple used it's power you might have a point, given that Apple mostly seems to use its power to extract maximum monetization out of its platform I don't really think your point has as much merit.

defining that push notifications should not be used to tell users to do specific tasks in the app would be the opposite of maximum monetization.

 

[omenatarhuri]

I wonder what the end result would look like? Should Apple license iOS to other OEMs similar to windows and android? Or other app stores like now happening in eu?

 

[bsolar]

DOJ just loves to lose and prove they are ineffective. This case is DOA.

Last time the DoJ sued Apple for antitrust violations the DoJ won though: it was the eBook price-fixing lawsuit in 2012.

 

[MilaM]

Will Apple soon have more lawyers on retainer than developers working on products 🧐.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

I just want the ability to install programs like every other OS. If it takes the DoJ to do so, then so be it.

 

[TracerAnalog]

I don't know why people are so up in arms about this. Apple's laptop can download anything they want. No issue. But on a phone which is just like a pc, why not?

Because a mobile phone poses a much high risk than a PC. It is easier to steal, and a phone has access to very personal information (banking, socials, email, location,…). People use phones much much more than a computer, and it is (in a lot of cases) always with you. That on it’s own makes it a high target value for hackers.

Also: phones are used in the billions, computers in the millions.

Really, the two hardly compare as platform.

That said, it is good that governments around the world get to grips with these mogul companies (Apple, Google, Meta, et etc) and set clear rules and laws as to what they can do.

Do I agree with the lawsuit? I can’t say. There is something to be said for it and against it.

 

[chouseworth]

Big twenty four hours for Team Biden. First, doing much more with its regulatory authority to shove EVs down our throats on Wednesday. Then taking on arguably America’s biggest and most successful company today. Good to see their priorities are in the right place.

 

[truthsteve]

And those apps would not be popular and die

says who?

 

[sw1tcher]

Add another reason to the already large pile Biden has to go.

I guess you were "Trump has to go" when the Trump Admin/DoJ went after Google, right? Or is everyone fair game to go after except for Apple?