Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
65,647
34,257


The EU is planning to implement wide-ranging legal measures to compel major tech companies to share data with competitors and give no preference to their own apps and services, according to a new report by the Financial Times.

European-Commisssion.jpg


As part of its new Digital Services Act, the EU is planning to force the likes of Apple, Amazon, and Google to hand over customer data to smaller rivals in an effort to loosen the grip of big tech on consumers. A draft of the legislation stated that tech companies "shall not use data collected on the platform... for [their] own commercial activities... unless they [make it] accessible to business users active in the same commercial activities."

Likewise, "gatekeeper" platforms that wield their own online marketplaces, such as Apple's App Store, would be limited from using much of the data they collect. The draft states that "Gatekeepers shall not use data received from business users for advertising services for any other purpose other than advertising services."

Perhaps most controversially, big tech companies may be banned from preferring their own apps and services. As it stands, this means that companies will not be allowed to pre-install any of their own apps on devices, or force other companies to exclusively pre-install any of their software. There is also the ambition to allow users to uninstall any pre-installed apps.

The plan would be a major blow to Apple and Google, and result in fundamental changes to how operating systems ship and function. However, it is unclear how shipping an iPhone, for example, with no pre-installed Apple apps from would work, when presumably even the App Store itself could not be pre-installed as it would then be a "preferred" app. Downloading apps or using services of any kind on iOS and Android would have to be completely reworked to allow for user choice and third-party options at every level, with no preference for any of the device-maker's own apps and services at all.

The act contains over 30 paragraphs of specific prohibitions and obligations for tech giants, aimed at curbing their power and influence. The legislation is expected to be publicized in full by the end of this year, and Brussels reportedly hopes to lead global standards for the digital economy, improve competition, and prevent long-lasting antitrust cases.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Article Link: EU Plans to Ban Tech Companies From Pre-Installing Apps, Force Them to Share Data With Competitors
 

Lounge vibes 05

macrumors 68040
May 30, 2016
3,858
11,110
Hey I just bought this new phone, and I want to make a phone call. So I go to open the phone app and... oh... it’s not there.
OK, well I can at least text, can’t I? Oh... not that either.
Can I at least check the weather? Nope, nope, definitely not.
Can I take a picture? Oh, no camera. Interesting.
 

HarryPot

macrumors 65816
Sep 5, 2009
1,082
541
I agree with these measures if you use the data for placing ads. Which in my opinion, need to be controlled.
But how does handing down customer data helps anyone?

As for banning pre-installed apps, this is just nonsense, and I believe just a tactic to later on removing this from the planned law and "concede" something to Apple, Google, etc..
Many users have almost no knowledge of downloading new apps, and the pre-built apps are just what they need.
 

BobVB

macrumors 6502a
Apr 12, 2002
839
183
Hey, have at it. It will be an interesting experiment that the rest of the world can learn from. I suspect it will be a dumpster fire but as long as it is someone else's I'm ready with the lawn chair, beer and popcorn to watch it unfold comfortably.

(seriously - you'd buy a blank iPhone, go to the Apple website, by-your-own-free-will click on a link and in a short time it would look like they do now.)

Its a silly requirement that will only hurt EU members.
 

AustinIllini

macrumors G5
Oct 20, 2011
12,699
10,566
Austin, TX
So...when I accept Google's terms of service, I don't accept all the competitors' terms of service, too. How does EU think this is going to help the consumer?
[automerge]1601560759[/automerge]
So the same EU that enacted GDPR compliance to protect user data is now going to force companies to share user data with any competitor who wants it?
This is the crux of the problem. I didn't agree to Google sharing my personal data with Bing
 

Lounge vibes 05

macrumors 68040
May 30, 2016
3,858
11,110
I believe that there should be a law against pre-installing useless apps that can’t be removed.
Motorola is particularly bad with this, and Samsung. Each phone comes with two different versions of the same app, two calendars, to browsers, two photo galleries, etc. And some even come with things like Netflix and Spotify pre-installed, and not able to be deleted.
But the thought that you could buy a phone with absolutely no applications on it, including no App Store, or no phone app, or no messages, or camera is absolutely laughable.
 

Bornee35

macrumors 6502
May 6, 2013
480
1,414
Canada
So...when I accept Google's terms of service, I don't accept all the competitors' terms of service, too. How does EU think this is going to help the consumer?
[automerge]1601560759[/automerge]

This is the crux of the problem. I didn't agree to Google sharing my personal data with Bing
Exactly, so much for the users informed consent of their personal data usage.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.