U.S. House Committee Asks Apple to Send Info About App Store Policies and More as Part of Antitrust Investigation

[CarlJ]

Incoming "it's Apple's store they can do what they want" comments from uneducated people.

Quit comparing the Apple Store to other stores. On iPhones, the App Store is the ONLY store.

But Apple does not have a monopoly on smart phones, there are plenty of others to choose from. And the way Apple's App Store and such work is pretty widely known. If you don't understand the implications before buying an iPhone, that's on you (it's the kind of thing one ought to research before spending hundreds of dollars on something). If you don't want Apple's way of doing things, then don't buy an iPhone/iPad. Buying an iPhone, knowing there's only one store, and then complaining that there's only one store... that doesn't seem very smart.

But, hey, I must be uneducated if I disagree with you. How convenient for you.

 

[Tech198]

"bipartisan investigation"

The committee is getting concerned. This is the only reason its sending letters out i reckon.

 

[0924487]

I think this is gonna be big

maybe as big as Apple vs Samsung

 

[jonblatho]

To me, the first item requested, "Apple's App Store algorithm for determining rankings in search results," shows the ridiculous nature of this inquiry. You would NEVER hear someone ask for Google's search algorithm but this is the equivalent of that. I'm all for oversight but you can't ask a company to divulge trade secrets to a group of people who will not maintain that secrecy.

They asked Google today for executive communications regarding “Google’s algorithm that determines the ranking of search results, including but not limited to how Google’s algorithm accounts for Google products or services and how Google’s algorithm accounts for non-Google products or services that compete with Google’s offerings.”

Link

 

[Defthand]

But Apple does not have a monopoly on smart phones, there are plenty of others to choose from. And the way Apple's App Store and such work is pretty widely known. If you don't understand the implications before buying an iPhone, that's on you (it's the kind of thing one ought to research before spending hundreds of dollars on something). If you don't want Apple's way of doing things, then don't buy an iPhone/iPad. Buying an iPhone, knowing there's only one store, and then complaining that there's only one store... that doesn't seem very smart.

But, hey, I must be uneducated if I disagree with you. How convenient for you.

No one is implying that Apple has a monopoly on smartphones. The concern is that Apple's app market is anticompetitive towards app developers and services.

When the iPhone was introduced, Apple's leadership intended to limit apps to Apple's own. The platform was not going to be open to third party products. Apple reconsidered, and even bragged that they created a new industry. Unfortunately, they didn't create an accompanying society and laws to operate that industry on their own terms. Do app developers have to comply with Apple's app store requirements to peddle their products through it? Sure. But Apple has to also comply with the rules that define our free, but fair, market.

 

[Bswails]

Apple store is the only store because it gives me as a consumer, the confidence than more often than not, Apple will protect my data from apps whose intention is to gather data and share it with outside. I have the confidence that more often than not Apple will block any apps which has potential malicious intent and unsuspecting consumers might install that app if not for the app store and wind up in a situation similar to the one google had last week where 30 million android devices had malware infused app

The walled garden approach has been in play since 2007+. its been over 12 years now. every iPhone owner today is aware of its existence. Every ipHone owner has purchased the iPhone despite knowing it because they have accepted that this is the approach they feel will make their phone more often than not more secure than other vendors .

Apple was doing this before the iPhone..people purchased Macs because they didn’t get viruses like PCs because everything was in house..and it helped Apple achieve a great reputation. Other companies are starting to do the same thing but I do hope Apple either opens up a bit or just buy the various smaller companies needed to stay on track with the other companies

 

[Defthand]

Apple was doing this before the iPhone..people purchased Macs because they didn’t get viruses like PCs because everything was in house..and it helped Apple achieve a great reputation. Other companies are starting to do the same thing but I do hope Apple either opens up a bit or just buy the various smaller companies needed to stay on track with the other companies

Macs were vunerable to viruses and malware as easily as Windows machines. There was even anti-virus software for Macs. The reason viruses were not abundant on the Mac is because the Mac was not prevalent (~5–7% market share). It was a tiny target not worth hacking.

 

[TracesOfArsenic]

The games Apple promotes in the Today and Games views are nearly always freemium games with consumable IAPs. Funny that, hey!

Apple aren’t this moral high ground.

Good Guy Apple. Drives marketplace into the ground, encouraging predatory monetisation models, then offers an alternative to get your money anyway.
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Apple was doing this before the iPhone..people purchased Macs because they didn’t get viruses like PCs because everything was in house..and it helped Apple achieve a great reputation. Other companies are starting to do the same thing but I do hope Apple either opens up a bit or just buy the various smaller companies needed to stay on track with the other companies

Huh? Maybe I missed your point but on Mac you have long been able to install software from a third party from anywhere on the web. It's totally different. There was a Mac AppStore but just like on Windows, you have the choice to get your software from wherever you like. The consumer is king/queen.

 

[Doctor Q]

...
Apple's decision to "sherlock" any functionality from third-party apps, including any discussions about Clue, Duet Display, and SwiftKey

I like the use of sherlock as a verb. For those who don't know the history, here is one article explaining it.