Department of Justice Exploring Apple's Treatment of 'Roblox' Game in Antitrust Investigation

[vipergts2207]

Which CEO did that? It wasn’t Tim Cook if that was going to be your answer. He said the App Store review rules applied equally, not that every developer would be treated equally in every aspect of their relationship with Apple.

“However, the antitrust subcommittee interpreted the deal as representing preferential treatment given to Amazon and that Apple was not treating its developers equally when it came to providing access to its ‌App Store‌ and other platforms. ‘That is not correct,’ Cook said on Wednesday when asked by the subcommittee if some developers are treated differently. ‘We treat every developer the same.’”

It would seem that your interpretation as to what was said is excessively narrow.

 

[vipergts2207]

Are we talking in 2020-2021 or since 2008. Treating customers equally doesn't mean that 100% of customers have to be treated exactly alike. Discounts are usually given in business to the largest customers. And yeah, we know that certain concessions have been granted over the years to certain customers. So to be pedantic if a company has 1,000,000 customers and they treat 999,999 exactly the same and the largest client granted a discount, you would say the company doesn't treat it's customers equally?

Did you move those goal posts all on your own or did you have to get help?

 

[I7guy]

Did you move those goal posts all on your own or did you have to get help?

(Off-topic remark by itself)What goal posts? Do you really believe companies to treat customers equally?

 

[huge_apple_fangirl]

(Off-topic remark by itself)What goal posts? Do you really believe companies to treat customers equally?

Apple claims that it should be allowed to control the App Store because it is there to make iOS safer, not because Apple uses it to make money. To prove that, they claim that they treat all developers, big and small, the same, regardless of the money at stake. Because it’s only about safety, right?

Except it’s not. They don’t treat all developers the same. Nor are they technically obligated too. But then they can’t credibly argue that the App Store’s primary purpose is not just extracting rent.

 

[I7guy]

Apple claims that it should be allowed to control the App Store because it is there to make iOS safer, not because Apple uses it to make money. To prove that, they claim that they treat all developers, big and small, the same, regardless of the money at stake. Because it’s only about safety, right?

Except it’s not. They don’t treat all developers the same. Nor are they technically obligated too. But then they can’t credibly argue that the App Store’s primary purpose is not just extracting rent.

Can you point to where apple said the above? Any company who says they treat their largest client equally to their smallest client is lying. Treating all customers fairly is different than equally.

The App Store is about safety and service. From the safety and service they make money. That’s the way things work. Provide a service and make money from that service.

 

[boss.king]

Can you point to where apple said the above? Any company who says they treat their largest client equally to their smallest client is lying. Treating all customers fairly is different than equally.

The App Store is about safety and service. From the safety and service they make money. That’s the way things work. Provide a service and make money from that service.

Tim Cook literally said "We treat all developers the same". I don't think anyone actually believes a company of Apple's scale can possibly do that, but the company then shouldn't be allowed to lie and say that they do. Either they treat them the same or they don't get to say it, they can't have it both ways.

 

[Lcgiv]

The DOJ is after ALL the data in your iPhones, they will use every means at their disposal to get it. This is just part of a long-standing effort to break Apples’s lock on providing their customers with serious privacy protection products & services. As for everyone wishing to see Apples’s “walled garden” removed, be careful what you wish for…

Meanwhile apple just gives it to China for free

 

[Krizoitz]

“However, the antitrust subcommittee interpreted the deal as representing preferential treatment given to Amazon and that Apple was not treating its developers equally when it came to providing access to its ‌App Store‌ and other platforms. ‘That is not correct,’ Cook said on Wednesday when asked by the subcommittee if some developers are treated differently. ‘We treat every developer the same.’”

It would seem that your interpretation as to what was said is excessively narrow.

Nope, because I didn’t pick and choose what to quote from an article which was opining, I went straight to the transcript itself.

Big Tech Antitrust Hearing Full Transcript July 29

Four Big Tech CEOs testified before the House in an antitrust hearing on July 29. Read the full transcript here.

www.rev.com

Amazons deal was brought up after Tim Cook’s comment about the rules applying equally to App approval and the two are entirely different categories. Whether an app is approved or not VS. what fee the developer pays (if any).

 

[vipergts2207]

(Off-topic remark by itself)What goal posts? Do you really believe companies to treat customers equally?

Your answer to your own question as it applies to Apple appears to be “basically yes.”

 

[I7guy]

Your answer to your own question as it applies to Apple appears to be “basically yes.”

So you also believe in fairness and not equality.

I don’t believe companies are or should be forced to treat customers equally. Fairly yes, equally no.

 

[Runequester]

"Apple Arcade appears to be a topic of interest as well, with investigators asking developers whether the ‌Apple Arcade‌ game store has made it more difficult for developers to compete with Apple."

Its becoming pretty clear this is just a way for the feds to occasionally demand Apple writes them a check.

With this sort of rationale, if Apple makes literally any app for any purpose, weirdoes can line up and demand money.

 

[Runequester]

Apple will continue to draw lines around verbal semantics to preserve their tax on the free ideation and development by all developers. "Experiences" vs "Games" ... come on... You can only squeeze creators for so long ....

There are literally no developers for Android in the entire world? Damn, that sucks bro.

 

[gavroche]

As far as I'm aware, most CEOs of corporations don't testify that they treat everyone equally before a congressional subcommittee. I could be wrong though.

As far as I'm aware, most CEOs of corporations don't testify that they treat everyone equally before a congressional subcommittee. I could be wrong though.

Now you are changing the argument. Let’s not pretend that many CEOs get called before a subcommittee, because it’s far from a common thing. Apple gets a ton of scrutiny, given its huge size and importance.

And back to the original point… as someone else pointed out… the number of companies that have received special deals appears minuscule. And it isn’t just that Apple gave them a break for nothing in return. There was still an exchange, even if not easily equated in dollars. One example given was Amazon. Negotiating exchange if content (Prime Videos). That’s how all business works. We are only having this conversation because people hate Apple because they are big.

 

[boss.king]

Now you are changing the argument. Let’s not pretend that many CEOs get called before a subcommittee, because it’s far from a common thing. Apple gets a ton of scrutiny, given its huge size and importance.

And back to the original point… as someone else pointed out… the number of companies that have received special deals appears minuscule. And it isn’t just that Apple gave them a break for nothing in return. There was still an exchange, even if not easily equated in dollars. One example given was Amazon. Negotiating exchange if content (Prime Videos). That’s how all business works. We are only having this conversation because people hate Apple because they are big.

I’m not changing the argument, I’m pointing out that Tim Cook specifically said they treat all developers equally, which we know to be false. I’m fully aware that businesses make special exceptions and deals, but they don’t then get to claim that they don’t.

 

[gavroche]

I’m not changing the argument, I’m pointing out that Tim Cook specifically said they treat all developers equally, which we know to be false. I’m fully aware that businesses make special exceptions and deals, but they don’t then get to claim that they don’t.

Perhaps it should be phrased better to say they “treat all similar types of customers equally.” I can’t think any reasonable, sane person (who doesn’t already hate Apple or large corporations in general) who would think that an average developer or software maker would be negotiating the same types of deals as one of the largest and most important companies in the world, like an Amazon. And given the fact that a company like Amazon is providing a service to Apple as well… it’s not just a one sided customer relationship… it is much more of a partnership than a one-sided customer relationship… why on earth would you think their relationship should be equated to some random developer.

As a prior responder to your comment said… you are so very much parsing semantics for make a huge mountain out of a mile hill. There literally does not exist one single corporation in the entire world that treats all customers exactly the same.

 

[I7guy]

I’m not changing the argument, I’m pointing out that Tim Cook specifically said they treat all developers equally, which we know to be false. I’m fully aware that businesses make special exceptions and deals, but they don’t then get to claim that they don’t.

Treating customers equally doesn't mean treating customers alike. Equal treatment can mean many things. However, no for profit business that produces consumer grade products for mass consumption would treat the largest of the large exactly identical to the smallest of the small in every aspect of the business relationship. Equal courtesy, equal tech support, but not equal pricing.

So you're welcome to post a citation to where Tim said this, but the reality is Apple could treat it's customers equally, in terms of many customer to company contacts, but not entirely identically.

 

[Madhatter32]

Roblox is not remotely similar to Epic. I think prosecutors are reaching here.