EU Plans to Fine Apple for Anticompetitive App Store Practices

[AndiG]

Fine em! Can't you see how badly Apple begs to be fined? Apple's strategy is very clear, they are breaking the rules to see if they can get away with it. So this game continues until Apple sees a massive fine.

But wait, Apple just had to hand over a $10 billion fine for its tax tricks and another $2 billion in the Spotify case. Not enough? So fine em more!

Shareholders should fire Tim. He is too expensive and Apple lacks innovation as long as he is CEO.

 

[whoknows2597]

Correct me if I’m reading it wrong, but perhaps the EU should explain in detail or give nuance about the changes Apple should make, rather than say “they are engaging in anti-steering” or “anti-competitive.”

Either that or the article is missing critical context for users outside the EU.

 

[anthogag]

I would say Apple should not have to "steer" App Store users to offers from external third parties. It appears EU regulators want to "steer" $2 billion into their offshore accounts.

 

[johnalan]

I’m an EU citizen and I’m not a shareholder of AAPL. Even I’m sick of this socialist ****.

 

[victorvictoria]

The EU, led by that most ethical and moral country, Germany. And those cheese-eating surrender monkeys, France. Yeah, we beat one of them, and we saved the other. How quick they are to forget.

 

[ikir]

It is getting ridiculous

 

[goobot]

Monopolies are potentially bad. That’s why virtually every country in the world has anti-competitive laws to regulate and restrict monopolies.

If you don’t understand why monopolies are potentially bad for consumers, your comments in this thread may come over as a little naive.

Apple isn’t a monopoly

 

[Xiao_Xi]

Apple isn’t a monopoly

Even if Apple had it, having a dominant position is not illegal per se, what is illegal is the abuse of a dominant position, and Apple has already been found guilty of it in Europe.

Summary of decision on objection regarding abuse of dominance by Apple | ACM

On July 13, 2023, ACM declared the objections filed by Apple Inc and Apple Distribution International Ltd (Apple) against ACM’s decision on penalty payments of August 24, 2021, unfounded.

www.acm.nl

 

[DocMultimedia]

Time to ditch the 7% of earnings that Apple gets in the EU. Stop wasting time. The EU basically wants a Blackberry with a free ASCII pong app so everyone has exactly the same thing.

 

[frenchcamp49er]

Apple needs to abandon the EU. The EU has turned American companies into their ATM.

 

[Fuzzball84]

Apple fans are so offended by anyone who dares confront the company. In reality the company doesn’t give a damn about them, except for their continued custom.

Governments care more about you than companies.

Do you think Apple is looking after your interests? Only as long as the cash keeps flowing in the right direction.

But governments and their respective bodies are elected by and for the people.

The EU is made out to be a negative force. But in reality it is the most successful cooperation of countries the world has seen in recent times. Borne out of a world war to foster peace and economic development. One of the world’s most advanced and richest trading blocs.

 

[TracesOfArsenic]

Why do so many Americans don’t get this, if a company wants to do business in the EU they are bound by the laws in the EU.
You can complain about it and downvote all you want, it doesn’t matter, Apple thinks they’re above the law, expect to be fined if you’re in contempt of those laws, period.

Exactly. It's no different to Apple doing business in China but because Europe is slightly more relatable for Americans they take more issue with it.

 

[Fuzzball84]

Apple needs to abandon the EU. The EU has turned American companies into their ATM.

But if you’re a customer of Apple, you’re an ATM for Apple.

 

[Fuzzball84]

Exactly. It's no different to Apple doing business in China but because Europe is slightly more relatable for Americans they take more issue with it.

Americans don’t understand the EU. Despite America playing a pivotal role in its development it created an economic bloc that will one day surpass it, and many just don’t want to accept that.

 

[Ctrlos]

It's their governance and regulation that is strangling competion in the EU not the other way around, and perhaps if the EU allowed its entrepenuers to prosper they would have their own vibrant tech economy instead of just rushing to punish American success.

The biggest company we had got bought by and promptly killed by an American tech giant.

 

[Ctrlos]

I dont want 50 million app stores that will just complicate things.
I want 1 unified App Store to get all of my apps.
I almost want Apple, Samsung and Google to unify and pull OUT of the EU and see what happens after that.

Doesn't stop you using Apples storefront though. There are 20 stores in the village that sells wash detergent but I only ever use the same one. I don't want the other 19 burned down.

 

[Ctrlos]

Yes but also an  client who will never forget the craziness cookie consent and the arrogance of these EU bureaucrats who are so stupid to fix that **** for 5 years.

The cookie consent is websites asking permission to track your browsing, the very thing the EU tried to eliminate in the first place. Every one you have to click on is based on scummy sites and not political dictats.

 

[Fuzzball84]

Doesn't stop you using Apples storefront though. There are 20 stores in the village that sells wash detergent but I only ever use the same one. I don't want the other 19 burned down.

This is what I don’t get, it’s a choice and doesn’t affect their device if they don’t want it.

Ironically these people seem to be anti choice. A one party one state?

 

[Ctrlos]

Apple fans are so offended by anyone who dares confront the company. In reality the company doesn’t give a damn about them, except for their continued custom.

Governments care more about you than companies.

Do you think Apple is looking after your interests? Only as long as the cash keeps flowing in the right direction.

But governments and their respective bodies are elected by and for the people.

The EU is made out to be a negative force. But in reality it is the most successful cooperation of countries the world has seen in recent times. Borne out of a world war to foster peace and economic development. One of the world’s most advanced and richest trading blocs.

Apple fans seem to forget their open platform Macs have functioned perfectly well without a centralised app distribution for decades.

The EU is merely trying to make the iPhone more like the Mac. People are always moaning the iPad doesn't have MacOS too.....

 

[Ctrlos]

This is what I don’t get, it’s a choice and doesn’t affect their device if they don’t want it.

Ironically these people seem to be anti choice. A one party one state?

They also don't seem to realise that free market capitalism is based on competition inducing innovation and lowering prices. They don't seem to want Apple to build better products either.

 

[Ctrlos]

Americans don’t understand the EU. Despite America playing a pivotal role in its development it created an economic bloc that will one day surpass it, and many just don’t want to accept that.

Supra-nationals are the only way we will combat planetary-scale problems that effect us all. I fully expect the USA, Canada, Mexico and Latin states to form a free trade and free movement bloc at some point in future.

 

[PlayUltimate]

Americans don’t understand the EU. Despite America playing a pivotal role in its development it created an economic bloc that will one day surpass it, and many just don’t want to accept that.

the data does not support your conjecture.

 

[segfaultdotorg]

First they came for the Lightning Connectors, and I did not speak out--because I was not a Lightning Connector.
Then they came for the App Store, and I did not speak out--because I was not an App Store.
Then they came for the iPad accessories, and I did not speak out--because I was not an iPad accessory.
Then they came for me--and there was no one left to speak for me.

 

[lotones]

The EU wants some fast cash for the holidays.

 

[platinumaqua]

Judging by the comments, it seems most here are shareholders for AAPL stocks?

I have shares in AAPL and I don't agree with all of their recent decisions