iPadOS Identified as Digital 'Gatekeeper' Under New EU Tech Rules

[AlexESP]

As always with this discussion, there's a simple and respectful solution: don't force anyone else to create products the way you like. Let's discuss whether Apple does the right thing with their closed ecosystem, but don't enforce your vision. Also the other way around: no one should force Google to open up Android.

 

[ypl]

And what will their next reason be for fining apple? WatchOS?

If it meets the criteria, then yes.

For now anti-comptetitive approach of Apple in smartwatch area is one of imporant parts of DoJ lawsuit against Apple in US.

Apple vs. the U.S. Department of Justice: What You Need to Know

On March 21, the United States Justice Department sued Apple for antitrust violations, concluding a multi-year investigation into Apple's business practices. The U.S. government is also pursuing antitrust cases against Google, Amazon, and Meta, as part of an expansive look into the practices of...

www.macrumors.com

Hard year for Apple. DoJ lowsuit for antitrus violations in US, Chinees banning iPhones in gov area, EU extending gatekeeper status to iPads. Bad news for shareholders (not me), good news for customers (like me).

 

[DaPhox]

That is because Apple (and others) have resorted to malicious compliance. Once the investigation into the compliance is completed by the EU and Apple fined about $38 billion (10% of Apple's 2023 revenue as reported by Apple), things will be better for consumers.

What is good about costumers paying these fines & filling corrupt pockets?

 

[Chazak]

Protecting from what? For 17 years Apple has dictated on over a billion users that they can only install apps that Apple approves. That's not protecting, that's gatekeeping, and it is just criminal considering no other major Mobile or Desktop OS does that.

Criminal? Those kind of remarks lead to just being laughed at.

 

[DaPhox]

I love the EU. Truly one of the greatest achievements of the modern world

Yeah corruption is fantastic.

 

[bcortens]

Apple is being prevented from providing the type of products and services customers like me appreciate. The kinds of integrated systems that Apple became famous for and that customers like me value greatly.


The EU has told Apple not to be Apple, and has told Apple's customers that there is only one business model allowed and our preference for Apple over Android was misguided. If Apple's control of their platform was degrading my user experience, I'd change platforms.

None of this response spells out in any way which products Apple sells that they will not be able to sell. Nor does it actually point out how Apple's hardware, OS, apps and services will have a worse user experience as a result of these changes.

The fact that you don't mind the current experience doesn't mean the current experience couldn't be better for other users. Your experience is not universal.

Apple can't lock their products down as hard as they used to, but the experience of using them will not be altered significantly. Alternative App Stores and side loading will likely be a small market with minimal impact on the average user's experience (just as they always have been on Android). The minority of users and the fringe but power-user use cases that were previously limited by Apple are now possible, again, this will not change the experience of using Apple's products if you just continue to use only Apple's apps and services.

 

[Wando64]

I feel like I have no power in EU. Who am I supposed to vote for to not have this **** happen?

Before starting attacking the EU, have you even made any effort to understand what the gatekeeper designation means?
I mean, it is not that Apple is particularly singled out.

 

[Wando64]

Yeah corruption is fantastic.

Care to tell us where you are from, so that we can compare with the corruption in your own country and government?

 

[DaPhox]

Care to tell us where you are from, so that we can compare with the corruption in your own country and government?

That wasnt an answer. Corruption is corruption. Why should I ”compare” them?

 

[Wando64]

That wasnt an answer. Corruption is corruption. Why should I ”compare” them?

You seem to think that there are better systems in existence.
Name them.

 

[ypl]

That wasnt an answer. Corruption is corruption. Why should I ”compare” them?

Well, it's quite strange to associate EU with "corruption". Blaming EU for "bureaucracy" is more common. Any reference to reliable source showing EU as corrupted (more than other countries/unions)?

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

The EU doing it again.

Soon they'll have me jumping back on the iPad train and finally relating to Tim Cook:

They just can't stop winning. Haters can't stand to see it.

 

[gregmancuso]

The rules hasn’t changed. Apple filed In information that showed that the iPad likely wasn’t a gatekeeper, EU made an investigation just how they investigated Samsung.

Samsung was shown not to be a gatekeeper but iPad is shown to be a gatekeeper. Simple as that.

Not saying your statement about Samsung is incorrect (I don't know). But how does that make any sense. Samsung tablets run Android. If iPadOS is a gatekeeper, hence all iPads, so should all Samsung devices - phones and tablets.

Per the article, iPadOS is claimed to be a gatekeeper, not the iPad. DMA does not cover hardware per se.

ETA: I know Samsung is not on the list of companies designated to date. Put the topic of the article iPadOS and your comment was about iPad vs Samsung. So to make apples to apples comparison you have to go iPad vs All Android Tablets (including Samsung).

 

[Rogifan]

It makes perfect sense. Windows vs macOS has a Grand Canyon of a difference in the people that use it. Not so much with iOS.

I believe macOS is only as “secure” as it is just because Windows is used immensely more.

So there’s no way to keep iOS secure without 3rd party developers handing over 30% of their revenues to Apple?

 

[DJ_Envo]

Sure, they aren't advertised as less secure devices, do you expect Apple to do that? However, they are. And it's about many things other than security. You might be fine with it, some people aren't.

You paid for an iPad, knowing what that platform was and wasn't.

No no no, don't try to gaslight anyone here with this... Apple's main concern is always privacy. That's why Apple treat us like kids, and holds back meaningful upgrades to the iPad line. At least that's what they tell us, and in the background they know that the iPad could cannibalize Mac sales in no time.

But maybe it's time to give the Macbooks a little rest in the history.

 

[NewOldStock]

EU must love inflation. Keep putting your thumb on companies.

 

[spazzcat]

I think he wanted a marquee app for his app store and Delta was one such app. He could have made it available in both app stores but then he would have had to pay for CTF on his App store downloads also, which is useless for him. Apple's fault here, not his.

It proves my point that there are going to be all these alt stores you are going to have to install because apps are going to be everywhere because they will be exclusive to different stores.

 

[Wando64]

The rules hasn’t changed. Apple filed In information that showed that the iPad likely wasn’t a gatekeeper, EU made an investigation just how they investigated Samsung.

Samsung was shown not to be a gatekeeper but iPad is shown to be a gatekeeper. Simple as that.

Android is a gatekeeper.
Which OS is used by Samsung?

 

[spazzcat]

We do not know if iOS is fully compliant. Apple thinks it is. We will know only once the EU finishes its investigates and finalizes the quantum of fine. If it less than $38 billion, then Apple is lucky.

If Apple is not fully compliant, which comes with a fine without time for mitigation, then we know the purpose of this is to be a cash cow for the EU.

 

[spazzcat]

Apple has already sold their device. Why do they want to control the device against the user's intention? If a user does not want Apple's control, they should leave it. The user has spent their hard-earned dollars for the device. Not like Apple, which wants to earn money through rent seeking.

I think people would be shocked at how much more phones would cost if makers could only profit from the sale of the hardware.

 

[gregmancuso]

The minute Safari was no longer the default browser, there was a marked improvement in the downloads of alternate browsers. Some of them were not even mainstream/well-known browsers. As days pass, the safari market share on iOS in the EU will reach Mac levels. The reason I am giving this example is that unless the users have seen the alternative, we cannot say whether users will like it or not. Let MacOS or some other OS run on the iPad. We will see how good the sales will be. If people are paying for a gimped-up OS, I am sure they will gladly pay for a more productive OS easily.

To play devils advocate here - I do somewhat like the Safari / WebKit engine requirement. It forces sites to limit the Chrome-only support that has been happening on other platforms. Let's be honest, Chrome is to the Internet today what IE / ActiveX was back in the day and while I would like to use Firefox / Gecko for certain high-performance sites I really hate having to stop my workflow to open a Chrome / Chromium browser for specific sites or pages.

 

[NagasakiGG]

Apple is getting ridiculous with their argumentation.

Apple: "Safari on Mac, iPad and iOS are three different browsers".
Also Apple:

 

[spazzcat]

For now anti-comptetitive approach of Apple in smartwatch area is one of imporant parts of DoJ lawsuit against Apple in US.

Apple vs. the U.S. Department of Justice: What You Need to Know

On March 21, the United States Justice Department sued Apple for antitrust violations, concluding a multi-year investigation into Apple's business practices. The U.S. government is also pursuing antitrust cases against Google, Amazon, and Meta, as part of an expansive look into the practices of...

www.macrumors.com

Hard year for Apple. DoJ lowsuit for antitrus violations in US, Chinees banning iPhones in gov area, EU extending gatekeeper status to iPads. Bad news for shareholders (not me), good news for customers (like me).

DOJ has a long, hard road ahead with the filing they made; they have to prove their claims in a court of law.

 

[spazzcat]

Apple is getting ridiculous with their argumentation.

Apple: "Safari on Mac, iPad and iOS are three different browsers".
Also Apple:

How so this 100% true?

 

[Realityck]

Before starting attacking the EU, have you even made any effort to understand what the gatekeeper designation means?
I mean, it is not that Apple is particularly singled out.

View attachment 2373024

I guess the questions fall to the fact that iPadOS represents hardly some percentage of the EU marketplace?

But yes one could see this coming

Apple contends iPadOS is in a different EU regulatory category than iOS, so most of its newly (sort of) open app store policies only apply to the latter. Obviously one similar big limitation exists:

• The ability to install third-party app marketplaces and download apps from third-party app marketplaces will be an option only on the iPhone.

Maybe this will be the emphasis to not differentiate the commonality of the App stores from IPadOS derived from iOS. For a long time because the iPads can use desktop browsers there has been this continued reliance on the same underneath security with the App Store. As suggested many times, Apple just needs to innovate more then depend on the App Store margins then hardware updates and software updates.