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Dutch Regulator Says Apple Shouldn't Force Dating Apps to Offer Separate App for Alternative Payments
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The investigation originally included more categories: the reasons why the antitrust authority decided to reduce the scope to only dating apps is AFAIK not been explicitly stated.
IMHO a possibility is that they decided to reduce the scope to avoid an overlap with ongoing investigations by the European Commission about possible anti-competitive barriers-to-entry for applications competing with Apple's own apps and services.
In case of similar ongoing antitrust investigation by the European Commission and a national antitrust agency, the national agency must stop the investigation. My speculation is that the original national investigation included apps competing with Apple's own services, so by limiting the scope to dating apps they avoided this overlap and were able to proceed.
Apple is lacking courage here. Follow the advice from your faithful supporter on MacRumors,
They have been calling to PULL OUT of the Netherland. Show them who is the boss. Show them the power!
They have been calling to PULL OUT of the Netherland. Show them who is the boss. Show them the power!
Apple will let this run out, because they are high nosed and think "We(Apple) have enough money to let this run for years, f'off!".
That attitude will break their neck at long term, and just confirms the delusional disorder they suffer.
Upcoming lawsuits will use this reaction as reference to define much higher fines, stay tuned.
That attitude will break their neck at long term, and just confirms the delusional disorder they suffer.
Upcoming lawsuits will use this reaction as reference to define much higher fines, stay tuned.
I still believe the easiest fix here is to just allow developers to put a link to their websites in their app, or even a description that says "go to our website and enter your payment details there". Already have an existing account with a vendor? Great, sign-in with that account, make your purchases and be done with it, just like when you buy something from the Amazon app and Apple doesn't get a cut of that.
Like I've always said, Apple has nothing to do with this transaction, so they honestly do not deserve any commission if they are not processing the payment. If you're unlocking something in an app (like a full version from a trial), or downloading extra levels in a game that is stored on Apple's servers, sure, they should get a cut of that. If everything is coming from a server operated by someone else, like a Kindle book, Apple shouldn't get a cut.
Like I've always said, Apple has nothing to do with this transaction, so they honestly do not deserve any commission if they are not processing the payment. If you're unlocking something in an app (like a full version from a trial), or downloading extra levels in a game that is stored on Apple's servers, sure, they should get a cut of that. If everything is coming from a server operated by someone else, like a Kindle book, Apple shouldn't get a cut.
A risky gamble indeed... but I wouldn't call it a game of chicken. Oh, it's still a game, and there is doubtless a great deal of legal maneuvering going on behind the scenes that we on the outside are unable to glimpse. For starters, Apple has probably already written off the entire $50 million fine for their current fiscal year, with plans to reclaim those funds upon appeal.
I'm sure I don't know the European Union laws as well as some, but I believe that the way the current court system is organized grants each member nation the backing of the entire Union. To wit, Apple can't just pull out of a single member nation; they would have to pull out of the entire EU in order to avoid these regulations. But what works to a member nation's advantage can also be used against them -- but perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's go on to the next caller...
None of this is going to happen quickly. Apple is biding their time, while they carefully craft their legal responses. I would imagine they're also hoping that the Netherlands pushes too hard and makes a significant misstep that Apple can use to their advantage. What you describe sounds like exactly what they would need. I believe that such a move would demonstrate bad faith on the part of the Netherlands court, and guarantee Apple an appeal to a court in a separate EU member nation, where Apple would be far more likely to win and overturn all or most of the local decision.
To sum up, folks: I don't think it's a game of chicken, as Tagbert suggested... rather, it's more like a game of chess played by two chess masters, both of which are thinking more steps ahead than the rest of us mere mortals can possibly fathom. And it's almost certainly going to take years to reach the end of this game.
Apple should raise prices by 100% in the Netherlands.
Great idea, this would break their neck even quicker.
Please write Apple and offer your consulting services.
Thanks!
Ahhhh. No. Not unless they force XBox and PlayStation ETC to also be ‘open markets’. What they are doing is interfering with a companies products. Why don’t they also tell you which TV stations you HAVE to watch. Please buy an Android and enjoy the beauty of a total mess of a platform. Why drag down a platform that actually works well!?
Actually Apple should close their stores there and raise prices. I’m not sure The Netherlands has enough sales to justify the idiocy they are facing. I bet Apple makes more in many single US States than the Netherlands.
I find it weird that this is just related to dating apps. And the other thing is this just seems like a money grab. They claim they are not happy and keep dining Apple. Do they think Apple is owed nothing for their IP?
Why do people forget or ignore that this fight won't end in the Netherlands, and won't be decided in the U.S. only?
Don't y'all read about the ongoing lawsuits, investigations, and regulations around the world that are being cooked?
Apple would have to leave the whole EU, and a few Asian markets to escape that.
It's not looking much brighter in their homeland, too.
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There is probably some local law that dates back to many years ago, which somehow shields dating apps from "bigger fish" or some such thing.
Personally, as far as the Netherlands is concerned, I think this is nothing more or less than a basic cash grab, piggybacking on Apple's current misfortunes in other nations.
Is it actually apart of the regulation/law that it be the same app or just how the ACM would like it to be so they are continue to fine Apple. If its not actually apart of the regulation/law I don't understand how they can continue to fine them.
You'd think that Microsoft and Sony's app stores would be getting the same level of nonsense regulatory scrutiny as Apple, yet they don't overall. iOS is as platform no different than Xbox and Playstation, Nintendo too, so why are those companies basically left alone while Apple is targeted so consistently? I mean I can't buy Xbox games on my Playstation and when a company submits a game to Sony, Sony sells them dev kits, approve the software and take a cut from each sale so what's the difference?
Sure free 14 years the laws “thinks different”. But we’ll see where this goes. They still haven’t broken any laws in the US and most of the rest of the world.
They are the rules that Apple created. I don't think they need to justify them.
It certainly sounds like a conflict of interest. When you have a subjective analysis determining the success or failure of a thing, you can't also allow an entity which benefits from one decision or the other to make that analysis, as their obvious bias will taint their decision. I mean, I don't know all of the details of what goes on behind closed doors in the Netherlands... but if that's what is actually going on here, than I suspect Apple will continue to "fail" this analysis until the Netherlands can no longer extract any further fines from them.
Good. Fine them and fine them and fine them until Apple changes its asinine extortion cut. They have no right to anything purchased outside of their app store
Really? So all of us that buy things in the browser or buy non-digital goods in apps don’t have privacy or security?