Japan Law Will Require Apple to Allow Non-WebKit Browsers on iPhone

[con2apple]

A government body is telling you how to run your business. Absolutely ridiculous.

I don't even know what to say to that.

There's a company that dumps unfiltered toxins from its factory into the river, poisoning everyone in Los Angeles, and then you come along and say, “That's business. A company don't need to care for everything."

And don't tell me it's different.

Just because you don't want to take the dangers of a software monopoly seriously – because the monopoly here is run by Apple rather than Microsoft – doesn't make it any less dangerous.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Sigh, another region so hopelessly addicted to products/services produced by American companies that, rather than consider the creation of a hardware/software platform they own, they’d rather just continue to have American companies own their mobile technology future.

 

[555gallardo]

A government body is telling you how to run your business. Absolutely ridiculous.

Pablo Escobar strongly agrees.

 

[Iconoclysm]

It's not punishing the engine, it's making it as hard as possible for developers to use their own engine. It's textbook malicious compliance, and it allows them to keep the WebKit monopoly on iOS whilst claiming that they are complying.

Calling this a monopoly is ridiculous - they aren't making money off the engine.

 

[con2apple]

Then buy something else? Like...didn't you know what you're buying into when you bought an iPhone?

Oh, so you admit that everyone knew Apple restricted the software freedoms of iOS.

Can you tell me the following:
First, where has Apple admitted this to date?
Second, why do you think it's right for the company to dictate how you use the products you buy?
Third, why is macOS treated differently?

And by the third question at the latest, it becomes clear how you are constantly lying to yourself.
Because Apple doesn't do it with macOS, because then no one would buy it anymore.
Because macOS is so insignificant that the company can't afford it. They don't have a monopoly to prevent users from choosing.

But there's only a choice between iOS and Android. A duopoly.

And you celebrate a company for taking away your freedoms. You even defend it by saying that it was everyone's free choice.
Just because Apple didn't force to buy an iPhone with a gun doesn't make it a free choice.
Or is it your free choice to die if a hospital monopoly won't treat you until you agree to a bill that you couldn't pay even if you had three lives?
That's the freedom Apple offers.

And you celebrate it. You defend the company as if it were your friend. As if it were a member of your family.
Newsflash: The company doesn't give a damn about you.

 

[Amazing Iceman]

Why are businesses so special they are should be exempt from laws? What you are suggesting is saying they should have more rights than citizens.

No, corporations exist at the pleasure of the government and the populace. If they want to operate in said country, they follow said countries laws.

How about the law tells you can only sell toilet paper in bundles of 12 or more rolls?
Or another law that says you must sell your burgers with mayo?
Or another one that says you can only sell chicken wings that are under 3” long?

This is how ridiculous all there government requirements are becoming.
They should let businesses mind their own business, and focus on their governmental duties instead: street safety, fighting crime, etc.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I don't even know what to say to that.

Me either.

I think what's happened is that corporate interest has become so powerful and so propagandized that we now have folks advocating on behalf of corporate interests -- very often in opposition to their own!

(if actually scrutinized and looked at in broader contexts)

 

[Iconoclysm]

Sigh, another region so hopelessly addicted to products/services produced by American companies that, rather than consider the creation of a hardware/software platform they own, they’d rather just continue to have American companies own their mobile technology future.

Japan has in many cases owned their "mobile technology future". They settled on a platform, they are a majority iOS country.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Apple should be more open, like they pretend to be in their infomercials. Big thanks to EU and Japan for enforcing real freedom ❤️

Their infomercials pretend to be open? New to me.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

How about the law tells you can only sell toilet paper in bundles of 12 or more rolls?
Or another law that says you must sell your burgers with mayo?
Or another one that says you can only sell chicken wings that are under 3” long?

This is how ridiculous all there government requirements are becoming.
They should let businesses mind their own business, and focus on their governmental duties instead: street safety, fighting crime, etc.

Business are not citizens and have no inherit rights. I, on the other hand, think people should able to, more or less, do as they wish, but business should be heavily regulated.

Freedom for people, not for business.

 

[con2apple]

Calling this a monopoly is ridiculous - they aren't making money off the engine.

Oh, really?
What does Apple get in return for allowing developers to use their development kits? What does Apple get in return when developers want to publish add-ons for money?
And how much does Apple save by indirectly forcing web developers to develop for Safari instead of complying with web standards themselves, thanks to their market share?

But it's good to know your point of view.
Because then Internet Explorer didn't have a monopoly either. Microsoft never made any money from it, right?

 

[Iconoclysm]

Me either.

I think what's happened is that corporate interest has become so powerful and so propagandized that we now have folks advocating on behalf of corporate interests -- very often in opposition to their own!

(if actually scrutinized and looked at in broader contexts)

There's certainly a position in the middle. Some requests are ridiculous, rooting for every one of them because corporations are bad is just as bad as crying about every one of them because governments are bad.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Japan has in many cases owned their "mobile technology future". They settled on a platform, they are a majority iOS country.

Yes, at some point in the past. Today, what Japanese companies are currently producing hardware/OS’s?

 

[ToothBlueth]

A government body is telling you how to run your business. Absolutely ridiculous.

But Apple is telling other business how to run their business. I'd rather have elected officials to determine what businesses are allowed or not allowed to do, than greedy mega corp.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Calling this a monopoly is ridiculous - they aren't making money off the engine.

Calling it a monopoly is ridiculous because no one has legally found it to be a monopoly. No one is using “monopoly” language in the remedies they’re putting forth. They’re all just defining some new thing that coincidentally includes iPhones because that’s what they want to do.

 

[surferfb]

Oh, so you admit that everyone knew Apple restricted the software freedoms of iOS.

Can you tell me the following:
First, where has Apple admitted this to date?
Second, why do you think it's right for the company to dictate how you use the products you buy?
Third, why is macOS treated differently?

1) In the EULA
2) They don't. Apple is not preventing you from jailbreaking and using it however you want. They shouldn't be obligated to make it easy for you, especially when there is an open alternative. iOS is Apple's property, I would rather have them make decisions about how it works than the government.
3) MacOS was designed before the internet existed, it has a tiny user base compared to iOS, and it is SIGNIFICANTLY less safe that iOS is, particularly for unsophisticated users..

And by the third question at the latest, it becomes clear how you are constantly lying to yourself.
Because Apple doesn't do it with macOS, because then no one would buy it anymore.
Because macOS is so insignificant that the company can't afford it. They don't have a monopoly to prevent users from choosing.

Or different platforms are allowed different rules. Especially one that is aimed at a significantly more technically proficient user base. It's also harder to take away things that have existed than to prevent them from ever being offered.

But there's only a choice between iOS and Android. A duopoly.

So choose the other option.

And you celebrate a company for taking away your freedoms. You even defend it by saying that it was everyone's free choice.
Just because Apple didn't force to buy an iPhone with a gun doesn't make it a free choice.
Or is it your free choice to die if a hospital monopoly won't treat you until you agree to a bill that you couldn't pay even if you had three lives?
That's the freedom Apple offers.

It absolutely its a free choice. You're not entitled to have your cake and eat it too! You're taking AWAY my choice and telling me I now have more choice. Your preferences are not more important than mine or Apple's.

And you celebrate it. You defend the company as if it were your friend. As if it were a member of your family.
Newsflash: The company doesn't give a damn about you.

I prefer Apple's business model, it's safer for me and my family. You or the government shouldn't be allowed to take my choice away when your choice exists in Android.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

But Apple is telling other business how to run their business. I'd rather have elected officials to determine what businesses are allowed or not allowed to do, than greedy mega corp.

Which ones? Which company that has NOT decided to do business with Apple are being told what to do by Apple?

 

[germanbeer007]

If people didn’t want it, they would not be bothered to try and regulate it.

It's pretty stupid to regulate things that affect all for just a few.

 

[germanbeer007]

Hi, developer here. WebKit is a terrible engine with a ridiculous amount of long standing bugs and inconsistent behavior. The only thing its good at is showing what happens when you don't need to compete with anyone else...

Hi, web frontend developer here. The most annoying thing is when 2 engines don't support the same feature set so we have to start writing engine specific code.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

1) In the EULA
2) They don't. Apple is not preventing you from jailbreaking and using it however you want. They shouldn't be obligated to make it easy for you, especially when there is an open alternative. iOS is Apple's property, I would rather have them make decisions about how it works than the government.
3) MacOS was designed before the internet existed, it has a tiny user base compared to iOS, and it is SIGNIFICANTLY less safe that iOS is, particularly for unsophisticated users..

Or different platforms are allowed different rules. Especially one that is aimed at a significantly more technically proficient user base. It's also harder to take away things that have existed than to prevent them from ever being offered.


So choose the other option.


It absolutely its a free choice. You're not entitled to have your cake and eat it too! You're taking AWAY my choice and telling me I now have more choice. Your preferences are not more important than mine or Apple's.


I prefer Apple's business model, it's safer for me and my family. You or the government shouldn't be allowed to take my choice away when your choice exists in Android.

EULA aren't worth the toilet paper they are written on. The quicker that one-sided "take it or leave it" modifiable at a whim contacts are gone, the better. I respect gum on the bottom of my shoe than the concept of a EULA.

As for the rest, a duopoly isn't a choice, and you do have a choice, don't install what you don't want to install. You (and Apple) are restricting my choice with what I want to do, with hardware I own. I'm not leasing my phone, I own it. Apple doesn't own it, I do.

As for Apple, if they don't like these rules, they are free to leave the Japanese market. That is their freedom, they are not a prisioner.

 

[germanbeer007]

I want the flexibility and the additional protection offered by multiple browser engines.

Literally less flexibility (website only works with XYZ engine, please download this browser) and protection (exploits from both webkit and chromium).

 

[ToothBlueth]

Which ones? Which company that has NOT decided to do business with Apple are being told what to do by Apple?

iOS and Android have so much market power, that choosing not to publish on these platforms can cost a company its business. While Apple does not 'force' them Apple is well aware many developers have no other option.

Their restrictive platform requirements, then, prohibit businesses like Mozilla and Alphabet to compete with browser engines. This is obviously a conflict of interest.

 

[germanbeer007]

I don't even know what to say to that.

There's a company that dumps unfiltered toxins from its factory into the river, poisoning everyone in Los Angeles

And don't tell me it's different.

WHAT????? LOL I *don't* even know what to say to that. Ridiculous.

 

[ToothBlueth]

If people didn’t want it, they would not be bothered to try and regulate it.

I expect elected officials to also preemtively make steps and decisions on behalf of the people. On big tech, I believe they are acting too late.

 

[germanbeer007]

Me either.

I think what's happened is that corporate interest has become so powerful and so propagandized that we now have folks advocating on behalf of corporate interests -- very often in opposition to their own!

(if actually scrutinized and looked at in broader contexts)

I've seen so many people assume someone is either brainwashed or paid for by big-corp whenever they see someone disagree.

How about, people are just simply advocating for what's right?