I don't think people really realise the implications of what they are proposing when they take the side of companies like Meta, Spotify or Epic.
I’m not taking the side of these companies. I’m taking the side of fair(er) competition. And low transaction costs.
So when I‘m a Spotify, Netflix or Epic customer - as so many are - my interests as a consumer are aligned with them. They and I benefit when they can spend more on producing or acquiring the content I like and choose to pay for.
Of course, they want access to Apple's user base for free on the App Store. It's not about their customer they' calm they are fighting for against the evil empire called Apple.
It‘s about as much about end users as Apple is fighting for security and privacy (rather than their bottom line).
Any store is free to offer the same deal; it's just the cost of doing that makes it uneconomic..
There's no upside for a free app to leave Apple
Exactly - they‘re trying to rig the rules in favour of their own store offering.
It’s not a matter of whether Apple deserves it or not
Yes it is. That’s why the law has been created - the reasoning behind it ultimately is a judgement of what they deserve.
then proceeding to charge developers a fee for publishing apps on said platform.
Nor is Apple obligated to deal with any developer who refuses to access to those terms. It’s not about Stockholm syndrome. Right is right
It‘s undesirable for economy and society in the bigger picture. Apple‘s App Store acts as an
intermediary between tens, maybe hundreds of thousands of business users/developers and consumers/end users.
High intermediary costs are undesirable in almost all economic markets - especially when coupled with a lack of competition in the underlying infrastructure (mobile OS) and/or high barriers for consumers to switch (platforms). Just as high credit card merchant costs are undesirable (which, again, the EU has brought down through regulation substantially).
Likewise, the level of control a small handful of companies have over what digital content people get (or sometimes can get) is undesirable.
👉🏻 Given their gatekeeping power, Apple‘s right to do (and set prices) as they please should be restricted if not stripped from them.
By law, by regulatory action, by issuing fines, if necessary.
And I fully support the E.U. in doing so (even though I‘m often very critical of it).
The first step the EU needs to do is be upfront about why they are implementing the DMA, which is really a glorified form of protectionism and an admission they are unable to compete with the major US tech giants.
Ensuring markets are competitive markets isn‘t protectionism.
The new rule basically states Apple have to provide the App Store on terms decided by the EU
Not much, no (except fair general terms if access).
The law much rather states that it should
not be the
only software installation store/method on systems like iOS.
I find it funny that even as the EU is pushing for Apple to open up, my country is trialing a more closed version of Android
Some peope, governments and sometimes societies really like to feel protected (and governed) by the iron fists of an omnipotent Big Brother.