EU Competition Chief Tells Apple Not to Use Privacy as a Shield Against Competition

[ian87w]

The EU talks big about competition, yet they are putting regulations and taxes that inhibit small businesses and only select big businesses who have the capital to cope with those regulations and taxes. And the fact that this comes out now, in the middle of other urgent issues like a pandemic is highly suspect. To me, it’s just the EU wanting more money because they are being drained with COVID. Since many small businesses are already dying out, the have to extort more money from the bigger companies, and big tech are easy target.

And it’s not just the EU. Expect other countries to start looking for money sources as well as their coffers are being drained dry due to their own corruption and inefficiency in handling the pandemic.

 

[grandM]

Well let me first just say "if you don't like Apple's locked down (best selling, highest CS) product and ecosystem then go to Android".

Oh it is Billions alright, I mean BILLIONS. Forward 12 months suggest close to 70 billion in Apple's second leading revenue maker, the Services sector. Biggest part of Services sector?? You guessed it! Theeeeeee App Store. Fyi, Apple's biggest business sector is iPhones. Did you know that Apple makes more revenue from iPhones than all of Microsoft's or Google's Data mining revenue? Just iPhones are bigger than either of them. Impressive. Yet Apple is not only the biggest smartphone maker and seller in the world, it is also the highest rated. And did you know that Apple's newest-ish sector, wearables and hearables, is close to becoming their third biggest revenue sector? It's growing so robustly. Did you know just Services (with the, ahem, App Store) and Wearables/Hearables sectors alone would make Apple in the top 40 biggest companies in the world. Bigger than all of Sony. It certainly indicates, as one big market research company stated, Apple's ecosystem growth is accelerating and user's within the ecosystem tend to spend more, buy more, replace more often and report higher customer satisfaction.
That's all on top of biggest Mac sales ever. That's in part coming from their brand new in house M series chip showing significant wattage reduction while increasing power (with iPad sales seeing good growth TTM). It is believed that they will hit 400 Billion in trailing twelve months revenue very soon. Incredible! success isn't it? Apple charges a premium on their precuts yet their users buy more, more often and report higher satisfaction with the products. But you'll stop them all won't you! The hammer will fall! Oh wow...
So if you do not like that I have a suggestion that may help. You should go immediately to Android.

Where you android anti Apple people (especially you rabid ones) get this utterly fanatically warped sense of entitlement is mystifying and just a bit unnerving. That you don't like Apple and don't like they make a lot of money means nothing to me, countless millions of Apple users and pretty much anyone outside the small but vocal anti Apple group.
Your blinding hatred aside, Apple is going to continue to do it their way. How sny rational person can think that will tangibly change? That you and yours will drop the hammer to stop the App Store revenue? It's laughable and sad all at the same time. (help yourself now by going to the Android platform immediately).

On all seriousness, thank you for the Friday night fun (I suspect it was unintentional on your part but nonetheless it was fun).

If governments truly believe in climate change they should start immediately with replacing every energy devouring IBM clone at government offices by a Mac or an iPad.

 

[jz0309]

No choice of alternatives is NOT a choice... with billions of dollars of trade (in the App Store) at stake, it's just a matter of time before the domino drops. I'm so sick of you Apple Apologists stating "if you don't like Apple's locked down nonsense then go to Android." That's not good enough.

But it is ok for the few who want side loading to expose the millions who have no knowledge (nor should they have the knowledge) to the click n bait ********* that is going to happen??

 

[falkon-engine]

But it is ok for the few who want side loading to expose the millions who have no knowledge (nor should they have the knowledge) to the click n bait ********* that is going to happen??

You do realize that if the source for installing apps opens up to include sources other than the App Store, nothing is forcing *you* to actually use them right ?

It’s to give choice to developers and users, and to facilitate trade and competition. For all we know, some ambitious developer could develop a much better and more robust implementation of the springboard, chock full of multitasking and other ideas that Apple would never allow. And for all we know, users are willing to pay that developer very handsomely for a more robust springboard. Who is Apple to restrict such trade, when it is perfectly legal and not harmful to society?

The iPhone isn’t free, on the high end it costs over a thousand dollars, and users should get more of a say in where we get our apps from. If you want to stay on the App Store, then by all means, do so.

 

[mikethemartian]

Apple is trying to protect it's consumers data... Not sure what is wrong with that.

Look what happened to ruthless Facebook.

PRIVACY will always be Apple's number one PRIORITY, No matter what happens. It is one of the main core values.

Find another excuse Chief! Perhaps, review this webpage/report that might help you not to go after our human rights, over this long 4th of July weekend

https://www.apple.com/legal/transparency/pdf/requests-2020-H1-en.pdf

Privacy

Apple products, including Apple Intelligence, are designed to protect your privacy, because privacy is a fundamental human right.

www.apple.com

10 Years ago... Steve jobs thoughts on privacy. iPhone 4 days...

Apple’s number one priority, as with all publicly traded companies, is to maximize shareholders wealth.

 

[mikethemartian]

If that was the case Apple wouldn't have that much of Cash flow. Privacy leads to making profits for Apple.

Coming straight from Tim Cook. Perhaps, Mr. Cook wrote this himself or at least provided an approval.

Apple is very seriously committed to protecting your data and we work hard to deliver the most secure hardware, software and services available. We believe our customers have a right to understand how their personal data is managed and protected.

The minute Tim Cook figures a way to make more money selling your data then keeping it private is the minute he will begin selling it and he probably has much more collected information about any iPhone user than Google or Facebook do.

 

[One2Grift]

Well, THEY should be forced to offer their apps on other stores. I mean, it’s about choice, right?

Funny and well said iksamerica. No it's not about choice (as your reply so poignantly infers). I don't think anyone, except the most rabidly anti Apple angry, believes the choice argument. And as you revealed, if one of the anti Apple rabid speaks long enough, they'll quickly reveal the choice mantra isn't their motivation at all.

Apple (now) builds many of its own main chips->then they build the final product hardware->then they create/maintain the OS-> then they create the secure multi device simple to use interop eco to be as easy tp use as possible(they hope), one with the fewest security intrusions and fewest ways for average users to 'get in trouble'->then they create an online store specifically for very securely adding/purchasing third party apps.
They've done this without being the dominant player in almost any market their individual devices are in. Like Apple or hate them, this is pretty much a singularly huge accomplishment of business. And this makes some other companies (from a wide range of markets) apprehensive, most specifically seeing Apple growing the software/app side so quickly.

 

[One2Grift]

If governments truly believe in climate change they should start immediately with replacing every energy devouring IBM clone at government offices by a Mac or an iPad.

That is what I would call an inconvenient truth

 

[damphoose]

“The important thing here is, of course, that it's not a shield against competition”

This is a very European concept. The idea that companies shouldn’t be allowed to sheild themselves against competition. What’s the point of innovating if your competition can just come along after the fact and with the governments help, force you open up to them.

 

[mikethemartian]

I think we are on the same page. By selling “privacy” they increase their profits.

By claiming they prioritize privacy they increase their profits. In reality an iPhone user has no idea what Apple does or will do with their info.

 

[mikethemartian]

Gasp! No! Apple providing privacy security well above the competition could increase their sales and profits?? Those terrible people! Damn I love the anti Apple crowd's cry that Apple is a for profit business.

Hey! how about we review the for profit angle?
One company, Google, massively gathers your data to increase effectiveness of advertising and sales. They do it to make a profit and are globally the most profitable company at that.
The other company, Apple, doesn't massively gather your data and does virtually no data mined data advertising. They do it for the profit of selling hardware that has a very elevated level of privacy security.

Which for profit story would you rather belong too?

You have no idea what Apple does with your information.

 

[mikethemartian]

Lol I am from a neighboring country. You have choice. You can go android.
Truly. VW. Do they allow to choose which cockpit software is installed? Can you walk into a VW dealer and ask for Peugeot tires? No? Guess that's a monopoly then. Why doesn't Berlin or Brussels act?

I would think they would put any tires you want on the car as long as you pay for it.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

When Nokia was the top phone, I didn’t like it, so I chose something different. I didn’t whine about how Nokia needed to fit me, I found a company that MADE phones that I liked more. They weren’t perfect, but they did the big things I liked and wanted to do good enough for me to make that decision.

Those were heady days, when folks supported and bought from companies they WANTED to do business with. Sigh.

 

[bmot]

Maybe she is sideloaded with money from Google. She has no idea what she is talking about but has a major position in decision making regarding security factors. This world is an absolut mess.

 

[UBS28]

Someone sees pass Apple's veiled excuses for what it really is: an attempt to stiffle competition to it's Appstore. Most people won't bother with sideloading or alternative appstores, but let those who dare jump in with eyes wide open.

Standard practice for software problems is to do a factory reset, ie wipe all your data. Anyone who wants to sideload shouldn't come weeping to Apple to fix user error.

If there is a virus on iOS, it will be on all news papers and Apple will be the one that get hit, even if it was due to user error.

 

[Velli]

Profits is Apple’s real reason, privacy is secondary.

Every single company that produces the food you eat every day is doing it for profit. Does that mean you should stop eating?

 

[Velli]

You honestly believe an app developer will abandon the Apple app store and miss out on the opportunity to reach the over 1.65 billion devices in use if people are given the chance to sideload?

Delusional 🤣

How are they “missing out”, if you just gave them the option to sideload on those 1.65 billion devices? You are the delusional one here.

 

[4492865]

Or Apple will just pull all of their devices out of the EU while the rest of the world gets to enjoy Apple’s products.

When will people in the UK learn that heavy regulation over everything is not the way to live?

Let's ask the Americans who haven't had health insurance for the longest of times.

 

[Velli]

There will be increased risk, but Users should absolutely have the option of deciding for themselves which apps they want to Install & Use !

It should NOT be Apple's decision !

One of the main issues I've always had with Apple is that they think they sold us ALL a "managed solution".

It works for alot of people, but NOT all.

Why can’t the people it doesn’t work for just buy something else then? Why does any product have to be for everyone?

 

[Velli]

Let's ask the Americans who haven't had health insurance for the longest of times.

Since a lot of them seem to be weirdly happy about it, that argument won’t take you anywhere…

 

[Velli]

It’s very obvious that those who insist the government must not interfere were raised under US ideology.

I’m European, and I disagree with you.

 

[cupcakes2000]

Or Apple will just pull all of their devices out of the EU while the rest of the world gets to enjoy Apple’s products.

When will people in the UK learn that heavy regulation over everything is not the way to live?

What has the UK got to do with anything in this article?

 

[Velli]

There are over one billion active iPhones in the world and if there’s more than 2% (20,000,000) users who actually want to jailbreak or care about an alternative App Store, I’d be surprised. And I’m being REALLY, REALLY generous. There is no great movement of users wanting sideloaded apps or multiple app stores, there’s just a lot of self delusion that all or most average users want what a few users here want. They don’t.

Any clue how many people actually have their iPhones jailbroken…100,000? 50,000? Hardly a blip of people in the grand scheme of things. Hopefully, the EU will keep their big nose out of it.

This is a great point. The request for sideloading apps does not come from users. It comes from other so-called “greedy”* companies. The competition chief is not in place to help the customers, she is there to help companies.

*As should be obvious, I don’t actually think companies seeking a profit inherently makes them “greedy”.

 

[Velli]

You have no idea what Apple does with your information.

On a scale of 1-10, a lot more than I know about what Google does with my information. Apple is currently very informative about when and where they don’t collect the information in the first place, for instance by processing on-device. Yes, it requires me to trust that Apple is not being sneaky, but again on that 1-10 scale, Apple is more trustworthy than any tech company in existence, even if not perfect.

 

[Manzanito]

Or Apple will just pull all of their devices out of the EU while the rest of the world gets to enjoy Apple’s products.

When will people in the UK learn that heavy regulation over everything is not the way to live?

Yes, that’s what apple would do, give up a 300 million potential customers market just for the sake of it. Brilliant move.

They’ll also stop selling in the US to avoid the nuisance of the antitrust thing you have going over there, while they’re at it.