Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple's Fines in Dutch Antitrust Case Could Exceed €50 Million
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
It's Apple taking the extra step, not me. I'm observing and without any intel about what they are trying to accomplish, I'm guessing at their strategy as you are. It's clear, at least to me, they are paying the fines so they don't have to rip apart their infrastructure to accommodate changes, which could cost them billions instead of millions.
The total cost of covid related disease in The Netherlands is > €80 billion, just saying.
I'm talking about an extra step in your estimation of their strategy. At the end of the day, we both agree it's about money.
1. The Netherlands
2. Apple will not leave these markets, 23% is still a lot, even more so if you realise Apple has a healthy 30-40% profit per item, lots more than most others.
Sure, it’s my opinion of what I believe their strategy to be. Apple would gladly pay billions not to perform major surgery on their ecosystem, but if they have to perform major surgery on their ecosystem, they might as well try to lose as little as possible.
Then most likely Apple will probably have to discontinue providing App Store and iMessage service to the EU.
Or even give in and shut the whole company down.
Apple’s willing to spend every single penny defending their empire they built.
(Sips Apple Kool-Aid while I type this ?)
? Well it will be the sum of this all…
Dutch lawsuit will exceed 50mil
EU DMA and DSA
USA Bipartisan Bill
South Korea case still ongoing
Australia still ongoing
Epic Trial still ongoing
Apple Watch lawsuit
Apple Watch Keyboard App they kicked
…and much more, i can’t remember them all, too many ongoing lawsuits because of the same thing, monopoly, duopoly and antitrust for anticompetitive acting.
And new lawsuits will show up, too.
Apple is being f’ed for good, they will faceplant hard and break all their teeth.
Get real, Boy!
Do you really think the big greedy Apple would leave the EU market? Leaving the EU market would lead to even more lawsuits, for leaving existing EU users unsupported. USA and EU have general agreements for intercontinental law enforcements, there is no way to escape the law.
Apple could just block dating apps in that region. Would they be well within their rights to do so?
I’m gobsmacked on how people won’t vote with their $$$, if they don’t like a companies practices. Don’t buy the damn product if you don’t like it.I hope they increase the fines
And that the DMA act will get trough fast. Then companies can’t just brush it off like it’s nothing.
I am really flabbergasted by how many people just completely follow Apple on everything, even if it is anti consumer. Looks like it’s a religion for some…
I honestly don't see these moves as being anti-consumer. Pretty telling when they are all being brought forward by other companies, and there has been zero feedback solicited from the ground as to what we (the end users) think of these proposed changes.I hope they increase the fines
And that the DMA act will get trough fast. Then companies can’t just brush it off like it’s nothing.
I am really flabbergasted by how many people just completely follow Apple on everything, even if it is anti consumer. Looks like it’s a religion for some…
When your choices are 'bad' and 'worse', you don't really have a meaningful vote. And of course, if all consumers had to do in order to effect change is vote with their wallet, we wouldn't need antitrust or product safety laws now would we?
They’re trying to do what’s possible and all of their efforts will be what’s possible. The regulators don’t want what’s possible, they JUST want the fees. The point in the theater is “We’ve tried, but they’re just interested in charging fees. At this rate, it would be $260,000,000 a year to stay in the Dutch dating app market. As the affected dating app market isn’t worth that much to us, we shall resolve the issue by requiring all dating apps to be resubmitted such that they don’t operate if they’re geographically located within the country.”
That way, the news becomes less “I’m taking my toys and leaving” and more “It’s financially ruinous for us to maintain this position”.
There are dozens of smartphone manufacturers. And so far Apple has not been found for any anti-trust violation in the US, except one California provision.
That's beside my broader point though. It would seem that according to you, we don't need antitrust laws or product safety laws, right? We can all just vote with our wallets and the market will go where we want, so why have all that regulation in place anyway?
Dutch = The Netherlands. The Kingdom of the Netherlands
Dane/Danish = Denmark. The Kingdom of Denmark
Last edited:
If according to you saying that I am promulgating that we don’t need antitrust laws or product safety laws, then you are all for more and broader for more legislation because we are under regulated.
I don’t know if you are being intentionally obtuse or not, but one would think regulation is needed in a broad way to protect society, protect life and finances along with the remainder of the myriad of laws on our books that are needed in modern life.
Enacting a law to force iMessage to support protocols apple doesn’t want to support, is governmental overreach. And yet like death and taxes here it comes.
In some areas we are under-regulated in my view. But apparently areas where voting with your wallet is applicable, that’s all that’s needed. Otherwise, why is the argument “well you can vote with your wallet so why do you want this?” And again, there are only two choices with your vote. Mobile OS’s are not a vibrant, thriving, and competitive market. Saying that sometimes we need other regulations like antitrust and product safety laws would seem to be a tacit admission that voting with your wallet isn’t always a reliable mechanism to effect change in a market, particularly when a market lacks competition.
Last edited:
Do you have statistical analysis on what the Dutch citizenry want? And if you think that includes Apple bending over backwards to whatever they want then you know what will happen--they can find another platform.