EU Approves Landmark Legislation to Regulate Apple and Other Big Tech Firms

[Analog Kid]

I’d assume pulling out of EU means stopping doing any sort of business with EU whatsoever.

I don’t see it happening tho, no matter how some US nationalists and anti-globalists think.

I don’t think it’s nationalists and anti-globalists giving that response, I think it’s people really unhappy with either the political philosophy of this kind of government action or the impact they expect it to have in their lives wishing Apple would poke the EU in the eye.

 

[thekeyring]

The DMA also seeks to ensure that gatekeepers can no longer:

• Pre-install certain software applications and require users to use any important default software services such as web browsers.

So they don't want Apple to ship iPhones with a web browser, music player, photo viewing app? And this improves the customer experience?

I hope UK and US regulators are better than this.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

RCS doesn’t require a mobile network. It’s purely data; an instant message - any internet connection will do.

No, RCS is TIED to a telephone number. It’s a fascinating tech, just read up more on what’s required for it to work.
“RCS also lacks cross-device support for laptops, desktops, tablets, and watches — products that don't have a phone number.”

 

[Colpeas]

Right, so in a nutshell, they want iOS to become Android. I can't see how users will benefit from this.

EU should keep their filthy fingers out of the entire tech market.

 

[pastrychef]

They aren’t going to give up $90 billion of revenue a year over sideloading a few other changes

Just because they are forced to add this into the OS, doesn’t mean it’ll make a massive difference. Most people aren’t going to side load or do much differently. The impact on Apple’s revenue won’t be massive in my opinion.

It's more than just "a few other changes". They are being forced to open up Messages. That kills a huge competitive advantage for Apple.

What would Zoom be worth if they were forced to open up Zoom?

 

[Wildkraut]

No, RCS is TIED to a telephone number. It’s a fascinating tech, just read up more on what’s required for it to work.
“RCS also lacks cross-device support for laptops, desktops, tablets, and watches — products that don't have a phone number.”

Well, if RSC technically doesn’t work out, I’m confident they all will be able to implement a API, e.g. like twitter did in the past for Apps like Tweetbot.

 

[atomic.flip]

Interoperable messaging sounds like it could be a bit of a mess.

Over twenty years ago there was a massive battle over this. Instant messaging apps like msn messenger, yahoo messenger and trillian messenger all worked to provide some interoperability in the market. AOL was resistant to it and would constantly change the code base of their messaging service to exclude AOL instant messenger users from communicating through their own app with other instant messaging services.

Imagine if every single cell phone manufacturer decides you can only call people on phone of the same make and model as the one you use and no others. Then what? You’re at the mercy of that devices platform of users which would be very small or very limiting. No competition.

This is all very real stuff. And frankly it’s always been a majority of EU countries that have lead the charge to “standardize” and offer interoperability so that consumers, users and competitors were not pigeonholed by anticompetitive and over powered market megaliths. This has NOTHING to do with Apple or Google or Microsoft. These factors have been at play in each industry for decades and it’s about damn time that this non-sense walled garden (frankly communist) approach to computing be made obsolete.

A walled garden is as much a prison as it is a paradise all depending on your perspective. The important distinction is that one you can OPT to leave and the other you’re completely confined to.

If ANY company is threatened by choice of their own customers then they don’t have a platform worth investing in. There is a point where everyone must continue to provide a reason to return to the garden and no better challenge can be put forth than to ensure there are enough exit points to allow freedom of choice.

 

[pastrychef]

Over twenty years ago there was a massive battle over this. Instant messaging apps like msn messenger, yahoo messenger and trillian messenger all worked to provide some interoperability in the market. AOL was resistant to it and would constantly change the code base of their messaging service to exclude AOL instant messenger users from communicating through their own app with other instant messaging services.

Imagine if every single cell phone manufacturer decides you can only call people on phone of the same make and model as the one you use and no others. Then what? You’re at the mercy of that devices platform of users which would be very small or very limiting. No competition.

This is all very real stuff. And frankly it’s always been a majority of EU countries that have lead the charge to “standardize” and offer interoperability so that consumers, users and competitors were not pigeonholed by anticompetitive and over powered market megaliths. This has NOTHING to do with Apple or Google or Microsoft. These factors have been at play in each industry for decades and it’s about damn time that this non-sense walled garden (frankly communist) approach to computing be made obsolete.

A walled garden is as much a prison as it is a paradise all depending on your perspective. The important distinction is that one you can OPT to leave and the other you’re completely confined to.

If ANY company is threatened by choice of their own customers then they don’t have a platform worth investing in. There is a point where everyone must continue to provide a reason to return to the garden and I better challenge can be put forth than to ensure there are enough exit points to allow freedom of choice.

SMS is a standard.

 

[BuffaloTF]

Not under the current ”leadership.” Under the former, sure—the US had attained energy independence for the first time in more than a half century. Which just goes to reiterate my point that conservatism is better. 👼

View attachment 2026549

Yeah…. No. Natural gas was achieved under Bush. Oil was Obama with the end of the 40-year ban on exporting crude. Both never achieved true energy independence. We just moved to a point where our exports were on track to exceed imports and our trade deficit in these commodities dropped 95%. The “former leadership” wrecked that, sanctioning Iran and asking OPEC to cut supply in his “great deal” in 2020, the effects we are feeling currently as that 2 year agreement wraps up and OPEC - who have never held to any agreement, ever - cut production further than the agreed amounts.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Imagine if every single cell phone manufacturer decides you can only call people on phone of the same make and model as the one you use and no others. Then what?

That exists now, you can only FaceTime from one Apple device to another Apple device. Seeing as that is currently true, the answer to “Then what?” would be “The world just keeps on doing the things worlds do, turning and what not.”

 

[Wildkraut]

At MacRumors, you forgot to list „Downgradeable iOS Versions“!

 

[M3gatron]

I’ll mention here that if Apple global annual revenue is about $380B, 20% of that is more than the individual GDPs of 16 EU nations.

That’s quite a little revenue source Brussels has set up for themselves.

Nonsens is larger than the GDP of 7 really small(and poor) EU countries.

World Bank Open Data

Free and open access to global development data

data.worldbank.org

EU's total GDP is $17.9 trillion. The second largest in the world.
EU is the second largest economy in the world and Apple's second largest market.
The 20% global revenue fine is instated to ensure compliance with the law, there's nothing wrong with it. If Apple doesn't want to respect the law they should leave the EU market.

 

[BuffaloTF]

No, RCS is TIED to a telephone number. It’s a fascinating tech, just read up more on what’s required for it to work.
“RCS also lacks cross-device support for laptops, desktops, tablets, and watches — products that don't have a phone number.”

It doesn’t rely on mobile connections. A phone number is simply the user identifier. Just the same as WhatsApp, Signal, etc. It works in airplane mode with only a Wi-Fi connection. Why? Because it doesn’t rely on mobile connections. SMS does, RCS does not. And there’s absolutely cross device support that exists today. Just scan a QR code and you’re off…

 

[siddavis]

That American company sells on the EU market. That means the EU should have a say in those companies interacting with its consumers, just as I would expect Americans to do the same with a company that sells on the US market.

The consumers don't have a more direct say?

 

[Unregistered 4U]

SMS is a standard.

“THERE SHOULD BE A WAY FOR ANYONE TO TEXT TO ANYONE ELSE WITH A PHONE!”
“It exists, it’s called SMS and it’s available for every phone made, even those that aren’t on GSM networks, amazingly enough!”
“Well, I mean, what I’m saying is… I don’t like it.”
“You have chosen to ‘not like the solution’. That sounds more like a YOU problem.”

 

[Unregistered 4U]

EU is the second largest economy in the world and Apple's second largest market.

Third. And that’s only if you roll in India, the Middle East, and Africa.

 

[M3gatron]

Already see how this is going to play out.

Want to be an Apple Developer?
1. 10K entry free first year.
2. Year 2+ provide

There's won't be a second year with that plan.
After the first measure the number of iOS developers will drop like a hammer(it will also create for Apple a huge amount of bad PR so basically suicide).

 

[Wildkraut]

And now, the ball is in Apple’s court to see how they can best meet the letter of the law while giving up as little power as possible.

It will be fun to watch. Apple has had some time to work this out, I don’t believe they don’t have a trick or two up their sleeve.

Well, then we might see Tim jailed someday, in case he goes too far with their shady tricks. Would be not the first time a CEO ends behind the bars.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

WhatsApp

You DO realize that WhatsApp in a browser ONLY works if you’ve got a phone with WhatsApp on it, right? Take away the phone (and, most importantly, IT’S NUMBER) and you don’t have WhatsApp on a desktop.

Again, RCS is a fascinating technology, but you should read more about it’s limitations. There are actual reasons why it exists as an upgrade to SMS/MMS, yet has not taken off. (While SMS was kind of a side project of GSM networks that found itself propelled to being an option even on networks that don’t support GSM)

 

[Jamie0003]

What does this mean for platforms like Xbox, PlayStation, switch, steam?

 

[Wildkraut]

So they don't want Apple to ship iPhones with a web browser, music player, photo viewing app? And this improves the customer experience?

I hope UK and US regulators are better than this.

Yep, it will be twice as hard in the US, you’ll see.
Don’t forget the bipartisan bill that is rolling and rolling to catch big tech by their nuts.

 

[M3gatron]

Third. And that’s only if you roll in India, the Middle East, and Africa.

Wrong. China's GDP is smaller than EU's.
India's GDP is smaller than France's.
Middle East is a region and Africa a continent so a bunch a nonsense.

 

[M3gatron]

Actually, China is the second largest market, and growing much faster than the EU. The EU also has the lowest margin of all the regions and that’s going by the CURRENT rules. These rules may reduce the EU margin even further.

wrong again.
EU is clearly Apple's second largest market. https://businessquant.com/apple-revenue-by-region
And from where did you get the idea that EU has the lowest margins? That doesn't make sense when Apple products are generally more expensive on the EU market vs the US market.

 

[Wildkraut]

“THERE SHOULD BE A WAY FOR ANYONE TO TEXT TO ANYONE ELSE WITH A PHONE!”
“It exists, it’s called SMS and it’s available for every phone made, even those that aren’t on GSM networks, amazingly enough!”
“Well, I mean, what I’m saying is… I don’t like it.”
“You have chosen to ‘not like the solution’. That sounds more like a YOU problem.”

Yelling won’t change the law, just accept it. 😘

 

[Unregistered 4U]

There's won't be a second year with that plan.
After the first measure the number of iOS developers will drop like a hammer(it will also create for Apple a huge amount of bad PR so basically suicide).

Which is why it may be financially beneficial to just end the operation of the App Store to the EU. No money coming from EU countries, but, even better, no huge fines. Apple will take a BIG financial hit, but they’ll still survive. The EU will still survive, too, and may end up with many exciting new Android variants.