Well, given this is in a political section, I hope I can say I want to make sure the UK keeps regulations that protects workers, consumer, small investors, the environment, and civil liberties. I see these as being threatened as the government vows to cut 'EU red tape'. But I do think we agree that the CMA action seems a little odd. I don't know of a huge consumer upwelling of complaints about Apple or Google, nor am I aware of any monopolistic practices. The App Store introduced me to many developers I normally wouldn't give the time of day. As for Goggle, I just Duck Duck Go (which is actually an anonymised form of MS Bing).
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UK Begins Market Investigation into Apple and Google's Mobile Dominance
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You think a system where corporates openly control democratic process is a good thing?
Yeah, they should just let these corporates who always have our best interests at heart get on with it.
I used to think that governments should keep out of corporate life, free markets and all that, but it is clear that the dominance of Google and Apple is way beyond anything Microsoft ever achieved. The dominance is virtually total and something must be done.
For example, how dare Apple allude to the idea of getting rid of the Twitter app (e.g. 'we're keeping an eye on its moderation policies'). Whatever your views on Twitter's direction, it should be up to ME on MY phone whether or not I wish to download and use the Twitter app. I don't want Father Apple telling me what the heck I can download. Keep your nose out of politics, Apple!
For example, how dare Apple allude to the idea of getting rid of the Twitter app (e.g. 'we're keeping an eye on its moderation policies'). Whatever your views on Twitter's direction, it should be up to ME on MY phone whether or not I wish to download and use the Twitter app. I don't want Father Apple telling me what the heck I can download. Keep your nose out of politics, Apple!
What’s the logical conclusion? You buy a new computer, turn it on, and instead of being able to use it right away you to have to slog through an hour of choosing a browser, an email client, a messaging app, a music service, a video streaming service, a this-or-that. Nothing comes pre-installed, just the operating system and there’s nothing keeping the regulators from forcing the user to choose that too. All in the name of competition and fairness. Good grief.
Imagine turning Android and iOS to allow third party market vendor. Like PC with Steam, Origin, Epic Store, UPlay, GOG store market apps.
Could be a win for consumers, not stuck with the stupid single Apple / Google Play App Store pricing.
Could be a win for consumers, not stuck with the stupid single Apple / Google Play App Store pricing.
In the end, mobile OSs should be like PC ones.
There's nothing singular in the mobile OS experience that would prevent this.
On my Mac, I can use Firefox, Chrome or whatever.
I can pay for goods in my web browser using whatever payment processes the website that I'm on supports. And they can use whatever they like. If consumers don't like what they've chosen, they'll go elsewhere.
I haven't got an MBA, but what Google and Apple are doing is clearly using their market dominance to control and distort the mobile commerce market - any arguments that they make about 'user safety' are smokescreens for keeping this control.
There's nothing singular in the mobile OS experience that would prevent this.
On my Mac, I can use Firefox, Chrome or whatever.
I can pay for goods in my web browser using whatever payment processes the website that I'm on supports. And they can use whatever they like. If consumers don't like what they've chosen, they'll go elsewhere.
I haven't got an MBA, but what Google and Apple are doing is clearly using their market dominance to control and distort the mobile commerce market - any arguments that they make about 'user safety' are smokescreens for keeping this control.
I think that this would be OK. Let the market decide. It would be better for Apple to have competition in services anyway.
Often, I feel that many of their services are not 'best of breed' - they don't need to be, as they have such an advantage in hawking their own services.
Even if a new company created an amazing new mobile platform, it would likely still fail. A platform is nothing without 3rd party developer support. No one will use it. But the developers won't support it unless it has users. It's basically DOA.
This would all be solved if Apple just went ahead and started charging serious costs for the dev tools and APIs they provide, and Google stopped giving away android. These complaining vendors could then just go die on the vine like Windows Phone did, or go resurrect tucows to try to make a living distributing shareware.
The market DID decide. They chose these two market leaders because consumers preferred the complete package ready to go out of the box.
No is one stopping you using Twitter. You can access is via the browser.
I remember when I still used a Windows Phone I had to fight with my carriers sales reps to sell me a new model when it came out. They were very insistent that I buy an Android instead - even though my current device was a Windows Phone so I clearly knew what I was trying to buy.
Consumers want simplicity and buying through the app stores is frictionless. The customer can click to quit subscriptions from their phone without any human interaction. Try quitting a subscription when you have to call and go through customer retention. Or try getting a refund on the crappy app you bought. These two are all but impossible.
That will be served as topping on the cupcake. 😀
Well i hope „for Apple“, at least they won’t be able to say that they didn’t see this coming. 🤣
Seems to me that the UK government is the only government making this decision to launch an investigation. They should be forced to allow at least two other governments to be created at the national level to make rules for the people of the UK so that the people and businesses can choose which government rules they want to live under! 😃
Unless things have changed recently Android already allows side-loading apps. There are sites where you can download anything that you personally aren’t afraid might infect your device with malware. Download and install at your own risk.
Apple specifically advertises itself as a walled garden, and has for as long as I can remember. I quit being adventurous about software a long time ago and haven’t had my computer or smartphone completely trashed in a very long time. At one time I found non approved apps fun, and occasionally more useful. Having your system broken by doing that gets old though. And you better have a safe backup available and time to install it and up to date antivirus software to make sure it’s gone.
Most of that seems a bit nebulous. To what end? Is the goal to have these brands leave the UK market? There has to be a point where the work / profit ratio doesn't make any sense for a business to continue.
Would be curious to see Apple's government relations / legal budget these days. I would have to imagine they spend Millions more than many reputable companies earn within a single year.
Blocking or restricting alternative app stores and/or sideloading puts up arguably unfair (this if for regulators to decide) barriers for developers in providing apps to their customers. This can notably impact the mobile app market when one of the players (Apple/iOS) has a large share of mobile OS.
I'm not familiar with the arrangement but wouldn't see this as an issue, at least from an antitrust perspective. Having to pay fees/commissions to Apple would just be about moving money around within the company. What could potentially become an antitrust issue is Apple giving Apple Music and Apple TV+ "special treatment" as far as positioning or prioritization on iOS, given their dominance in mobile OS.
You could still easily download Netscape Navigator on Windows too, or use it on Macintosh, Linux/Unix-based machines, etc. This didn't mean Microsoft wasn’t violating antitrust laws and regulations in its activities in the browser market.
This argument is dead in 2022. Maybe in 2010 you have a point.
The barrier to entry jointly built by Apple and Google is too high for anyone else to come in.
That is why the duopoly exists. It's not that you can't, it's that it's been made near impossible to do just that.