U.S. Department of Justice in 'Early Stages' of Drafting Possible Antitrust Lawsuit Against Apple

[djphat2000]

I have had to deal with family members macs being infected. Just like Windows.

While I have not personally ever had to deal with a family or friends Mac actually being infected with anything (malware, Virus, trojan, etc.). I can attest to the fact that most if not all actually thought they were infected with something slowing down their computer.

When in fact it was almost always their hard disk was full or darn near it. And or they had applications not properly removed.

 

[spercharged69]

As many posters write. You won’t have the choice, because the big app developers will pull their apps.

I wish people would quit perpetuating this absurd belief that if third party app stores open up that there's going to be some mass exodus from the official iOS App Store. One of the most important things in mobile app development is eliminating as much friction as possible between people discovering your app, using it, and typically eventually being monetized in it.

There is no reality that exists where any of the "mainstream" apps that people are always worried about will move from the official stores. Even in the world of Android, installing third party app stores involves tons of friction and increasingly scary pop-ups. Amazon, one of the biggest companies on the planet, can't even get their proprietary app store initiatives off the ground even when using their store offered massive value to users over Google Play.

Instead, what you're going to see a lot of is random app stores pop up that have things that can't / won't make it through App Store approval, like the stuff that is on https://altstore.io - All of those you can choose to ignore.

 

[rpmurray]

This is NOT a reason to take away consumer choice. There will always be stupid people who do stupid things.

I am kind of hoping that Apple will include a switch in iOS that gives you the choice to lock out 3rd party app stores, and require a password to change that. Maybe put it into parental controls.

 

[HarryWarden]

Guess that’s what Big Tech gets for doing everything it can to get Biden elected. No way his opponent would even think of doing this. Google and Facebook were the worst offenders and deserve to get broken up for that reason alone.

 

[Jessica Lares]

I have had to deal with family members macs being infected. Just like Windows.

Yeah, my dad instantly found himself with MacKeeper the moment I gave him my MacBook. We all don't use the internet the same way.

Think this is 100% deserved along with Facebook and Google.

 

[rpmurray]

I wish people would quit perpetuating this absurd belief that if third party app stores open up that there's going to be some mass exodus from the official iOS App Store.

I really wish that people would quit perpetuating this absurd belief that allowing third party app stores is going to open the floodgates to better and higher quality apps for the consumer, when we already have an example of how that went.

 

[ThailandToo]

Apple should preemptively:

• Reduce the App Store fee to 15% flat.
• Allow every developers to use external in-app-purchase and subscription through their API, further reducing their fee to 10%.
• Provide more analytics to developers, with direct support and refund options.
• Allow apps to be installed outside the App Store, but through a scheme similar to Apple Developer Enterprise Program. If necessary, further restrictions to apps installed outside the App Store, perhaps every options in Privacy & Security settings (e.g., Camera/Photos, Health, HomeKit, Contacts, etc.)

I think this is just the tipping point. Apple will get hit from many angles. If they hadn’t been so greedy in the App Store perhaps they could have avoided this whole mess. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Tim Cook is so worried about hitting his numbers to ensure he gets his free $100m in stock vesting annually.

Apple could have done well and not acted like a monopoly. They have continued to make matters worse asserting dominance in every decision. Never caring about the customer. Things like the App Store and privacy aren’t going to matter. I think a lot of people will want to stick with Apple. But they will not be able to as everyone from Facebook to Epic Games will create loopholes to get their software in iOS and iPadOS bypassing Apple security completely.

I think Apple loses this war they have won every step of the way. And so many people here will just defend Apple. And they did build the ecosystem, but free enterprise and capitalism are supposed to prevail in a free-market society. As owners of iPad Pros and Airs with M1 SoCs that could run full out apps but have been limited by Apple, we have been sold a raw deal. Just like Microsoft lost its Antitrust case back in the day, Apple is in a similar situation. I hope the market is prepared for what happens to AAPL over the next two to three years. I still think it’s one company when they’re through it all, but they will not have most of the power over the OSes or the App Store. And if Apple just had a liaison /a go between to actually ensure developers were taken care of or if Cook listened to Schiller this all could have been avoided.

I think we have full rights to install apps from wherever we want using the overpriced SoCs that are reduced to paperweights with Apple’s current strategy of marketing the brand and privacy. But at the same time they prohibited free enterprise and as consumers we have been taken for a ride. I really hope they come down hard on Apple and we end up with a new CEO who’s main objective isn’t total greed and control of every aspect as Apple built the ecosystem to work brilliantly together, and that’s all they needed to ensure their longevity if they just didn’t shut out developers and they didn’t limit users abilities with systems sold to us with marketing that promised us something but gave us a locked down system where Apple controlled what we could do with our own devices we paid our own money for.

Lots of Apple fans will be crying out on Apple’s behalf. But the deal of Apple and Tim Cool taking money from China, and running with absolute power, has corrupted them to the core. I bet our M1 SoCs are plenty capable to run anything we want by the time this is done. And it’s unfortunate, as I actually believe many people will be harmed by downloading apps from alternative app stores. But it will be good to many of us who want to be able to utilize the power of the machines we have purchased. And not have everything blocked by Apple.

Cannot wait to see all the replies saying Apple deserves to do this as they built this. But that’s now how a free-market society is supposed to operate. We the consumers should have choices that aren’t completely regulated by the companies we buy products from.

Do we buy a duffel bag from Louis Vuitton and are required to only carry Louis Vuitton and their “developers” items only in our bags? Or can we put whatever the hell we want in our overpriced bags. It’s the exact same story here. Apple has too much power, and all the other tech companies mentioned are also doing the same things with their power and corrupting. But I think this will impact Apple the hardest as their whole value comes from controlling such a high-walled garden.

 

[Ethosik]

While I have not personally ever had to deal with a family or friends Mac actually being infected with anything (malware, Virus, trojan, etc.). I can attest to the fact that most if not all actually thought they were infected with something slowing down their computer.

When in fact it was almost always their hard disk was full or darn near it. And or they had applications not properly removed.

I work in IT. I know the difference between a full hard drive vs a malicious software that got installed. Macs DO have malware you know.

 

[Ethosik]

I wish people would quit perpetuating this absurd belief that if third party app stores open up that there's going to be some mass exodus from the official iOS App Store. One of the most important things in mobile app development is eliminating as much friction as possible between people discovering your app, using it, and typically eventually being monetized in it.

I really wish that people would quit perpetuating this absurd belief that allowing third party app stores means NOTHING will change AT ALL.

 

[HarryWarden]

So wouldn’t this make iOS basically the same as Android is currently?

 

[cthompson94]

So are they going to go after Sony also? The PlayStation especially if you got the digital edition model cannot get games from other than the Playstation store. The only codes available outside of the playstation store card to put money on your playstation wallet to then buy games at whatever price Sony has the games at rather than other stores or websites.

 

[wilhoitm]

What is the Government going to think when the Apple Car comes out?

 

[Naraxus]

I really wish that people would quit perpetuating this absurd belief that allowing third party app stores means NOTHING will change AT ALL.

Will things change? Certainly not as much as you and the rest of the fear-mongering crowd would like to believe.

Why? Because you go where the money is and that's the App Store. Will there be some who try and go the independent route? Sure. The vast majority however will choose to remain in the App Store

 

[mcnallym]

Why do people buy Apple products then say they want it to be like android.

if you want the features ie 3rd Party App Stores etc, go buy Android Phones.

if enough people stopEd buying iPhones and iPads then Apple would open up to those features if people were not buying iOS devices because they don’t have that. Clearly not an issue with the number of people still buying iOS devices.

first hurdle I would have thought is showing that iPhones are a seperate market to Android phones.

pystar tried that argument that Mac computers were seperate to the general PC marke and failed miserably.

it isn’t that difficult to show an equivalent Android device doing the same thing as an iOS device and blow that argument out of the water.

where do you end, trying to argue that coca-cola is a monopoly as only they can supply Coca-cola, cherry-coke etc.

 

[Naraxus]

So are they going to go after Sony also? The PlayStation especially if you got the digital edition model cannot get games from other than the Playstation store. The only codes available outside of the playstation store card to put money on your playstation wallet to then buy games at whatever price Sony has the games at rather than other stores or websites.

Why would they? This strawman comes up all the time and it always gets shot down and deservedly so.

I can go anywhere and get games for my PS, Xbox, Nintendo devices. I have multiple avenues to get games.

On an iOS device, where can I go?

 

[cthompson94]

Why would they? This strawman comes up all the time and it always gets shot down and deservedly so.

I can go anywhere and get games for my PS, Xbox, Nintendo devices. I have multiple avenues to get games.

On an iOS device, where can I go?

You are correct with Xbox and Nintendo games. You are incorrect with playstation. Sony created a similar situation with the release of the Digital only PS5. See the following https://www.courthousenews.com/sony-urges-dismissal-of-gamers-antitrust-lawsuit/

A section of the article if you will..

"Until April 2019, gamers could buy download codes for digital PlayStation games from a number of places, including Best Buy, Walmart and Amazon.

Then Sony decided to cut out the middleman and establish itself as the only marketplace where video game publishers could sell digital copies of PlayStation games.

Xbox and Nintendo also operate digital storefronts, but continue to allow other online and brick and mortar retailers to sell their games."

Edit: Add that this was created before the PS5 the stopping of sales of digital code purchases from 3rd parties. I don't know why you brought up Xbox or Nintendo because I didn't mention them at all..because you can indeed get digital codes for games via 3rd party.

 

[DelayedGratificationGene]

*yawn*….I think we’ve heard all this before lol…not going anywhere like all the rest and even if it does no one will use sideloaded app. Waste of taxpayer time and money

 

[Unregistered 4U]

If they drop it to 15% everyone will demand it be dropped to 5% and then 1-3%, lol.

And then demand they drop it to zero and then cry “Apple’s making so much money, they can afford to PAY developers to make games! They should pay developers $100,000 up front for the game they might make one day!”

 

[gaximus]

Apple should preemptively:

• Reduce the App Store fee to 15% flat.
• Allow every developers to use external in-app-purchase and subscription through their API, further reducing their fee to 10%.
• Provide more analytics to developers, with direct support and refund options.
• Allow apps to be installed outside the App Store, but through a scheme similar to Apple Developer Enterprise Program. If necessary, further restrictions to apps installed outside the App Store, perhaps every options in Privacy & Security settings (e.g., Camera/Photos, Health, HomeKit, Contacts, etc.)

Why would they preemptively do this, the outcome could be much less, this is a just wishlist of everything.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

It's better than using something made in 1990. I want to be able to send HQ media to/from my Android friends and family and its appalling (although obvious why) Apple wont give us a better experience here.

You can. WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal. Or email. Or social media.

 

[Thebrochure]

The political corruption in this world is literally beyond the scoop of reason--and only seems to be increasing. Without getting all apocalyptical and crazy, I wonder what the end game will be? Because surely, this can't keep going at its current rate. If it does, we will literally be living inside a John Carpenter film.

 

[Michael Scrip]

Why would they? This strawman comes up all the time and it always gets shot down and deservedly so.

I can go anywhere and get games for my PS, Xbox, Nintendo devices. I have multiple avenues to get games.

On an iOS device, where can I go?

Alright... so instead of one store that charges you $60 for a Playstation game... you can have two stores that charge you $60 for a Playstation game. Or three. Or four.

As a consumer... what exactly are you gaining?

Sure... Apple runs the only store on iOS. But it's a pretty nice store. You can download apps anywhere on the planet where you have WIFI or cell coverage. Your payment info is saved in one place... and all your apps and subscriptions are handled in one place too. It's actually pretty convenient.

So I don't know how consumers are being harmed by there only being one store.

Look at Android. Google has allowed multiple stores basically since the beginning of Android.

But does anyone really care? Nope... most of the action happens on the official Google Play Store anyway.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[ZipZilla]

You got your guys in there and this is how they pay you back.

Its all Progressive until money is involved, then everyone's a Republican. The irony....

Exactly. It's all about punishing success. If Apple thought their wokism and campaign contribution would buy them protection...oops!

 

[mikethemartian]

Right, but the fact that 3rd party chargers exist has no effect on my phone if I choose not to use them.

The fact that they would have to change the way iOS works to allow 3rd party app stores makes the phone less secure. That has an effect on my phone, whether or not I choose to use the 3rd party offering.

By exactly what mechanism? If there is a code module that allows some users to side load it doesn’t mean that that module has to be loaded on your personal device if you are not using that functionality.

 

[mikethemartian]

Alright... so instead of one store that charges you $60 for a Playstation game... you can have two stores that charge you $60 for a Playstation game. Or three. Or four.

As a consumer... what exactly are you gaining?

Sure... Apple runs the only store on iOS. But it's a pretty nice store. You can download apps anywhere on the planet where you have WIFI or cell coverage. Your payment info is saved in one place... and all your apps and subscriptions are handled in one place too. It's actually pretty convenient.

So I don't know how consumers are being harmed by there only being one store.

Look at Android. Google has allowed multiple stores basically since the beginning of Android.

But does anyone really care? Nope... most of the action happens on the official Google Play Store anyway.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Would you rather the money you pay for an application go towards further development of the application or to maintaining a store?