EU Introduces Strict Rules on Big Tech Companies to Promote Competition and Protect Users

[applicious84]

OK, if you don’t mind having to help your parents install some basic apps on their new smartphone.

One problem is that Apple doesn't really play fair. If people can't figure out how to uninstall Apple apps, then they probably can't figure out how to use anything besides what Apple gives them, even if you install it for your parents. Like how would your parents ever figure out how to use Google maps instead of Apple maps?

Apple tries to lock its users in when it has the opportunity, and that's often anti-competitive. Chrome on iOS is basically webkit.

And Apple is not just creating phones and phone software and computers and computer software. They're buying up everyone around them and shutting down plenty of other players.

So your parents might not have the easiest time right out of the box, but it might be a bit of an issue when their will isn't valid unless it's certified by Tim Cook and his cronies.

 

[H2SO4]

EU slowly but surely destroying everything good in technology.

Privacy pop-ups (that people accept without even reading) at every webpage load. The web was a so much better experience before.

Are you saying that the act of clicking "Accept all", every few weeks is destroying tech?

 

[hot-gril]

Are you saying that the act of clicking "Accept all", every few weeks is destroying tech?

More like every few seconds. Every single website. It's stupid.

 

[hot-gril]

Per case!

Rightfully so, there should be huge fines, some just don't learn, example Facebook, they shouldn't be allowed to exist by now after all those scandals.

Evidently people don't care and want to use Facebook anyway.

 

[justperry]

Evidently people don't care and want to use Facebook anyway.

More like "Ignorant"

 

[H2SO4]

More like every few seconds. Every single website. It's stupid.

If you take the hyperbole out of your reply how often is it really?

 

[msp3]

Sounds Orwellian as usual. The EU police state is all about protectionism, protectionism, protectionism, and the harassment of anyone not "in" on their game or having paid them off

 

[hot-gril]

If you take the hyperbole out of your reply how often is it really?

It's legitimately every single news website at least, and more besides those.
Also, somehow even the ones I revisit hardly ever remember that I accepted already.

 

[justperry]

If you take the hyperbole out of your reply how often is it really?

Every single time If he's/she's not excepting cookies.
I use private mode in Safari on my iPhone, I've been asked every single time when opening a news story from the home screen or visiting almost any site.
So, there might be some truth in his statement.

 

[hot-gril]

Every single time If he's/she's not excepting cookies.
I use private mode in Safari on my iPhone, I've been asked every single time when opening a news story from the home screen or visiting almost any site.
So, there might be some truth in his statement.

This too. If I didn't want the site to store cookies, I'd disable cookies, which leads to more annoyance in this case cause ironically you need cookies to say yes or no to cookies. I also have 4 devices and don't want to sync things, esp cause one is a corporate laptop. And many sites, I only visit once.

 

[AustinIllini]

There are some complexities to big tech which makes a monopoly all the more common (for example, Apple holds only a fringe piece of mobile and computer platforms. In reality, Android and Windows dominate. There's almost a "winner take all" tendency in tech which tends to require regulation.

 

[Cosmosent]

FYI, common knowledge to many but NOT ALL, the person leading the BIG Tech Antitrust charge here in the States is David Cicilline (D-R.I.), Chairman of the U.S. House Antitrust Subcommittee.

For starters, what is needed is a Fully-Transparent, Third-Party App Review Board !

Ideally, & again just for starters, one here in the States & one in the EU !

 

[Rainshadow]

One problem is that Apple doesn't really play fair. If people can't figure out how to uninstall Apple apps, then they probably can't figure out how to use anything besides what Apple gives them, even if you install it for your parents. Like how would your parents ever figure out how to use Google maps instead of Apple maps?

Apple tries to lock its users in when it has the opportunity, and that's often anti-competitive. Chrome on iOS is basically webkit.

And Apple is not just creating phones and phone software and computers and computer software. They're buying up everyone around them and shutting down plenty of other players.

So your parents might not have the easiest time right out of the box, but it might be a bit of an issue when their will isn't valid unless it's certified by Tim Cook and his cronies.

Then let your parents buy a different phone. I still don’t see a problem here. I really don’t. We have many options.

Having to redownload Apple apps on an iPhone is insane. Most people, myself included prefer Apple specifically for their walled garden and integrated approach. Take that away and im less interested.

 

[hot-gril]

There are some complexities to big tech which makes a monopoly all the more common (for example, Apple holds only a fringe piece of mobile and computer platforms. In reality, Android and Windows dominate. There's almost a "winner take all" tendency in tech which tends to require regulation.

Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat are each owned by a separate entity. I'm not concerned about this.

 

[tevion5]

EU slowly but surely destroying everything good in technology.

Privacy pop-ups (that people accept without even reading) at every webpage load. The web was a so much better experience before.

The companies mining every morsel of data from consumers is the problem with web-pop ups not regulation stating companies must declare what information they are tracking. The EU is not forcing websites to track you lol. The problem is the internet's core depenandy on advertising, not very sensible privacy legislation.

GDPR leads to some annoyances like pop-ups this but the benefits have been wide reaching, even benefitting people outside of the EU as companies are forced to follow the EU's standards in order to maintain access to the largest consumer market in the world.

And I absolutely fail to see how consumers are losing out by being allowed to switch default apps on their own phone. I tend to use most Apple apps personally but how is the choice not to a bad thing? Some people despise Apple's Mail app on iOS for example, it would be bad for consumers and iOS if they couldn't default to a 3rd party app.

I'm a big fan of Apple products as you can see in my signature! But there's a healthy line between liking a company's products and working overtime as a corporate sycophant. I like my mega corporations well regulated, it makes them better.

 

[applicious84]

Then let your parents buy a different phone. I still don’t see a problem here. I really don’t. We have many options.

Having to redownload Apple apps on an iPhone is insane. Most people, myself included prefer Apple specifically for their walled garden and integrated approach. Take that away and im less interested.

I dunno, then be less interested?

I appreciate my macs and iphones for a lot of reasons, sometimes including how integrated they are. I don't think about building my own pc and installing software in a certain way to get the best performance possible anymore. Apple stuff works well enough.

It doesn't mean that we have to cede that much control to them though. For instance, when I want to use Google maps instead of Apple's software, there are more steps, and frankly, Apple maps has been way beyond the curve for way too long. Does that mean that I should just buy a different phone? We can still be critical and work to stop certain ways that Apple is dominant. Sometimes they take it for granted.

I use WhatsApp more often now because Apple hasn't fixed a text delay in iMessage that affects a lot of people since iOS 14's been released. They're sitting on their laurels the way MS did with IE, and their "walled garden" is becoming more prison-like

 

[Applefan4]

Disgusting, but expected nonetheless: Europe is a classic example of a massive socialist nanny state run by SJWs

 

[Appleman3546]

I guess the Epic lawsuit won't matter in the end, as the EU will beat them to the punch and force Apple to make the App Store be installed separately like competing stores. Too bad Apple didn't carefully carve up a reasonable alternative before the regulators came in to hack it up.

 

[Bornee35]

I dunno, then be less interested?

I appreciate my macs and iphones for a lot of reasons, sometimes including how integrated they are. I don't think about building my own pc and installing software in a certain way to get the best performance possible anymore. Apple stuff works well enough.

It doesn't mean that we have to cede that much control to them though. For instance, when I want to use Google maps instead of Apple's software, there are more steps, and frankly, Apple maps has been way beyond the curve for way too long. Does that mean that I should just buy a different phone? We can still be critical and work to stop certain ways that Apple is dominant. Sometimes they take it for granted.

I use WhatsApp more often now because Apple hasn't fixed a text delay in iMessage that affects a lot of people since iOS 14's been released. They're sitting on their laurels the way MS did with IE, and their "walled garden" is becoming more prison-like

I mean most people buy a product for what it does, not what it doesn't, but you do you. Your argument is just the other side of the same coin, the same steps you complain about is what you want applied to apple apps. Nothing is stopping you from not using apple maps, and in your own example, WhatsApp.

 

[applicious84]

I mean most people buy a product for what it does, not what it doesn't, but you do you. Your argument is just the other side of the same coin, the same steps you complain about is what you want applied to apple apps. Nothing is stopping you from not using apple maps, and in your own example, WhatsApp.

Actually, Apple's software for texting doesn't work well, and there are extra steps required to use Google maps

 

[Rainshadow]

I dunno, then be less interested?

I appreciate my macs and iphones for a lot of reasons, sometimes including how integrated they are. I don't think about building my own pc and installing software in a certain way to get the best performance possible anymore. Apple stuff works well enough.

It doesn't mean that we have to cede that much control to them though. For instance, when I want to use Google maps instead of Apple's software, there are more steps, and frankly, Apple maps has been way beyond the curve for way too long. Does that mean that I should just buy a different phone? We can still be critical and work to stop certain ways that Apple is dominant. Sometimes they take it for granted.

I use WhatsApp more often now because Apple hasn't fixed a text delay in iMessage that affects a lot of people since iOS 14's been released. They're sitting on their laurels the way MS did with IE, and their "walled garden" is becoming more prison-like

Don’t mean to go back and forth, but their walled garden is by no means becoming more prison like.

They have been introducing “new” things that android has had for a while at a rapid pace because - guess what - the field is leveling and their IS competition. Which by itself, to me, negates the need to change the tech sector by shipping phones without the manufacturers own apps preinstalled.

Dont get me wrong - I’m not against being able to use alternative Services as a default if you go to settings and change it. What I think is ridiculous is forcing Apple to not include its software with shipped items because that’s “unfair”. If you don’t like them, look elsewhere on the AppStore. Don’t like those options - then you should think of switching phones.

the trends have been toward equal options across the board. Does Apple have farther to go in some aspects - yes. But I don’t see the specific propositions benefiting the Average consumer.

 

[Plutonius]

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Another measure to punish big tech companies is forced disinvestment. Systematic rule breaches could result in the demand that companies sell parts of their business
---------

I wonder how that would work ?

Breaking up a non EU business.

 

[Jim Lahey]

Who gets to decide what’s classified as “harmful“ content? Slippery slope to allowing state censorship of anything that doesn’t toe the party line?

 

[AdonisSMU]

No wonder it was so hard for me to find the new OSX updates or when I was specifically trying to find Apple apps I struggled.

 

[AdonisSMU]

Yeah, I don't think that people realize that "annual turnover" is "gross revenue". Not profit.

I knew what they meant. However the fine is too high. No one is going to give the EU 10% of WW earnings nor would they be obliged to. It’s gonna cause a trade wars. However, I do think there is something to be said about making sure products sold in the EU are assembled in the EU.