Apple CEO Tim Cook to Meet EU Antitrust Chief Next Week

[MacRumors]

Apple CEO Tim Cook will meet the European Union's antitrust chief, Margrethe Vestager, next week amid a series of disputes with the organization (via Reuters).

Vestager is also set to meet the chief executives of Alphabet, Broadcom, and Nvidia, as well as senior executives from OpenAI. The meetings will take place in San Francisco and Palo Alto on Thursday and Friday next week, and will focus on European competition policy and digital regulation.

In December, Apple reportedly floated the ability for Apple Pay rivals to access the iPhone's NFC technology for contactless payments in the EU. The offer is designed to settle an ongoing antitrust dispute and avoid a potential fine. The European Commission is believed to be seeking feedback from rivals and customers before accepting the offer, so it is highly likely that this matter will be discussed.

Apple is also facing several other challenges in the EU that will almost certainly be the subject of discussion, such as a $14 billion tax dispute. Most strikingly, new EU rules such as the Digital Markets Act (DMA) designate major tech companies as "gatekeepers" and compel them to open up their various services and platforms to other companies and developers. The DMA is expected to force Apple to make significant changes to the way the App Store, FaceTime, and Siri work in Europe. For example, Apple will next year be obliged to allow users to install third-party app stores and sideload apps, as well as give developers the ability to promote their offers outside the ‌‌‌App Store‌‌‌ and use third-party payment systems.

Article Link: Apple CEO Tim Cook to Meet EU Antitrust Chief Next Week

 

[Xenc]

You tell em, EU! 💪

 

[I7guy]

Going to be an interesting meeting. Would like to be a fly on the wall.

 

[ashdelacroix]

America creates, the EU regulates. Sorry, America. I say this as a Brit who is happy to be out of the EU. This is an institution that, rightly, has concerns about global corporations with monopoly practices, but who will damage consumer choice and security by forcing my message product of choice to provide backdoors to competing message products that I do not wish to use but, tacitly, will have a share in.

 

[one more]

“For example, Apple will next year be obliged to allow users to install third-party app stores and sideload apps, as well as give developers the ability to promote their offers outside the ‌‌‌‌App Store‌‌‌‌ and use third-party payment systems.”

Next year? Was not it all planned for the first half of 2024?

PS Apparently, those DMA provisions come into force on 6 March 2024, so in under three months.

 

[gnipgnop]

Developers already have the ability to promote their offers outside the App Store. iPhones and iPads have internet connections and allow app users to access information via the web/social media/email/texts/push notifications etc. The idea that iOS/iPadOS users are limited to the information they see in the App Store is ludicrous.

 

[VulchR]

America creates, the EU regulates. Sorry, America. I say this as a Brit who is happy to be out of the EU. This is an institution that, rightly, has concerns about global corporations with monopoly practices, but who will damage consumer choice and security by forcing my message product of choice to provide backdoors to competing message products that I do not wish to use but, tacitly, will have a share in.

I live in the UK and think Brexit was a spectacular own-goal. However, in this case I believe you are right. The EU has overstepped.

Only 37.4% of eligible voters in the UK voted to leave the EU in the referendum, right?. It was a plurality of those who voted to be sure, and opinion polls did suggest the UK public was slightly in favour of leaving at the time, but take pity on those of us who fought to stay.

In any case, a much saner path for the EU to take would be to make Apple earn its fees by guaranteeing the quality and security of apps in its store.

 

[wikiverse]

Developers already have the ability to promote their offers outside the App Store. iPhones and iPads have internet connections and allow app users to access information via the web/social media/email/texts/push notifications etc. The idea that iOS/iPadOS users are limited to the information they see in the App Store is ludicrous.

I think you misunderstood the article

"... install third-party app stores and sideload apps, as well as give developers the ability to promote their offers outside the ‌‌‌App Store‌‌‌ and use third-party payment systems" within the app itself.

This is what the EU seeks to change.

 

[ashdelacroix]

I'm not happy to have the UK out, the UK is an old friend and ally. Well, still is.

But aren't you in the latter sentence doing exactly what you pointed in the former?

No, I am talking about the EU as an institution, specifically about the Commission view but also a wide range of EU politicians who lament our exit and are determined to renew relations. Anyway, let's stick to the point. The EU regulates what America creates. But then it regulates in a manner that is not optimal for consumers in the EU or indeed worldwide given the implications that their laws will change the fundamentals of these platforms. So no this isn't just something that affects EU companies or EU consumers. Classic overreach. Almost as if the EU is a kind of monopoly itself...

 

[User 6502]

America creates, the EU regulates. Sorry, America. I say this as a Brit who is happy to be out of the EU. This is an institution that, rightly, has concerns about global corporations with monopoly practices, but who will damage consumer choice and security by forcing my message product of choice to provide backdoors to competing message products that I do not wish to use but, tacitly, will have a share in.

The U.K. has always been a huge hindrance to the European projects, it’s great it left and since it did there has been huge progress such as more armed forces and tech wise things like usb c being mandatory and the soon to come iOS side loading and open iMessage. The best is yet to come!

 

[ashdelacroix]

The U.K. has always been a huge hindrance to the European projects, it’s great it left and since it did there has been huge progress such as more armed forces and tech wise things like usb c being mandatory and the soon to come iOS side loading and open iMessage. The best is yet to come!

Says someone who is not even remotely schooled in EU history! You'd be shocked to learn just how much of the underlying principles of the EU were actually written by British lawyers! I suggest you do some more reading.

 

[timber]

No, I am talking about the EU as an institution, specifically about the Commission view but also a wide range of EU politicians who lament our exit and are determined to renew relations. Anyway, let's stick to the point. The EU regulates what America creates. But then it regulates in a manner that is not optimal for consumers in the EU or indeed worldwide given the implications that their laws will change the fundamentals of these platforms. So no this isn't just something that affects EU companies or EU consumers. Classic overreach. Almost as if the EU is a kind of monopoly itself...

The EU regulates what happens in the EU just like the USA regulates what happens in the USA.

In my country there is a saying that roughly translates to English (sounds a lot worse but the meaning is there) as "those outside don't cut wood".

If that is optimal or not is for EU citizens to decide, something that we will be doing soon in the 2024 elections.

 

[ashdelacroix]

Fair enough point. The UK is between a rock and a hard place - an outcome that was wholly predictable even at the time of the referendum. My worry is that anything Apple does to comply with EU law will automatically be applied to the UK. I guess we'll see.

Look, this is not about Brexit, it's about the EU regulating machine. Let's stick to the subject, OK? As to "wholly predictable": nonsense on stilts. We didn't even know what kind of exit we wanted, so let's not get into that. Many of the predictions of the Remain camp turned out to be wholly and utterly false. OK, now back to the EU as a regulator of America and global markets.

Yes, you should be worried that the EU is influencing the UK and US markets, not just its own. This is exactly what is happening!

 

[ashdelacroix]

The EU regulates what happens in the EU just like the USA regulates what happens in the USA.

In my country there is a saying that roughly translates to English (sounds a lot worse but the meaning is there) as "those outside don't cut wood".

If that is optimal or not is for EU citizens to decide, something that we will be doing soon in the 2024 elections.

Alas, the EU regulations influence consumer behaviour worldwide, not least due to incursions into global platforms that are not exclusive to EU consumers and cannot be ring-fenced in the way you imply.

 

[VulchR]

The U.K. has always been a huge hindrance to the European projects, it’s great it left and since it did there has been huge progress such as more armed forces and tech wise things like usb c being mandatory and the soon to come iOS side loading and open iMessage. The best is yet to come!

Be careful what you wish for (a harsh lesson the UK has learned). I hope that this opening up of the Apple ecosystem by the EU won't lead to greater security issues, but I am nearly certain it will.

On an aside, as a US citizen who had two generations of my family conscripted to fight in Europe in world wars, I just hope the Europeans can keep it together. Western Europe has been at peace for an atypically long time.

 

[timber]

Alas, the EU regulations influence consumer behaviour worldwide, not least due to incursions into global platforms that are not exclusive to EU consumers and cannot be ring-fenced in the way you imply.

I didn't say that the EU doesn't have outside influence or imply anything. It has. And a lot considering the market size. I would even go so far to say that having that influence is part of the point.

But that isn't the EU problem. If some company isn't OK with something there is always the option to leave. But if somehow Chinese requirements are always possible to be accommodated certainly these details won't be a problem.

 

[ashdelacroix]

Be careful what you wish for (a harsh lesson the UK has learned). I hope that this opening up of the Apple ecosystem by the EU won't lead to greater security issues, but I am nearly certain it will.

On an aside, as a US citizen who had two generations of my family conscripted to fight in Europe in world wars, I just hope the Europeans can keep it together. Western Europe has been at peace for an atypically long time.

The chance of war in Western Europe is zero. We're in NATO. The cooperation is real. There's French military leaders in the British military and vice versa. There is insane amounts of cooperation going on that most people don't know about but is readily available in the public media. The UK has not had any harsh 'lessons' to learn. Fortunately, the EU is learning that it needs to keep the UK close, as illustrated by a softening of various political positions since 2016. We always knew the EU would calm down eventually.

 

[ashdelacroix]

I didn't say that the EU doesn't have outside influence or imply anything. It has. And a lot considering the market size. I would even go so far to say that having that influence is part of the point.

But that isn't the EU problem. If some company isn't OK with something there is always the option to leave. But if somehow Chinese requirements are always possible to be accommodated certainly these details won't be a problem.

I never said it was a problem for the EU! It's the problems generated for the Anglo-Saxon innovators and creators I was referred to. Our non-EU services have to adapt to EU law given the way it irrupts large global platforms that cannot be geo-fenced in various fundamental ways.

 

[timber]

A nice anglo saxon expression is cry me a river.

 

[Skyscraperfan]

Margrethe Vestager is a tough nut. Does he really think he can convince her? It is like trying to convince Greta Thunberg that climate change is a good thing. Or convincing Robert Kennedy that the earth is not flat. It is cool what Margrethe Vestager already has achieved. She became the nightmare of all big corporations.

 

[CarAnalogy]

America creates, the EU regulates.

Honestly this doesn’t actually sound that bad. It’s well established that American corporations will take every inch and then some. That unbridled power does lead to innovation as well as abuse.

We have already seen tangible benefits from things like GDPR. Do we really want to just wait around for the American government to decide we deserve things like privacy laws and data portability?

Yes the EU goes too far, but American legislators go too far the other way. Look at the downright lies Elizabeth Warren is telling about Beeper Mini and Apple, somehow twisting it so that Apple is “blocking” Beeper’s services. I don’t think she’s stupid enough to actually believe that, which leaves lying as the most likely explanation.

It is interesting that Vestager is coming to the United States for this meeting. I would actually like to see more cooperation between American tech companies and the EU.

I know this post is just begging for downvotes, and I don’t like how it seems the EU is targeting “big tech” but so is the US government. At least most of the EU ministers seem to have some basic understanding of technology.

By the way for reference here is the Warren quote:

Green bubble texts are less secure. So why would Apple block a new app allowing Android users to chat with iPhone users on iMessage? Big Tech executives are protecting profits by squashing competitors.

Chatting between different platforms should be easy and secure.

I mean what is this? Anyone with any basic tech knowledge whatsoever understands that that is a deliberate twisting of the situation. This person is a US Senator. Someone should stop people with such power from saying such stupid things. Does she have no aids or advisors or does she just not listen to them or are they all lobbyists or what?

You’ll notice that the EU never said anything about Beeper.

 

[CarAnalogy]

Margrethe Vestager is a tough nut. Does he really think he can convince her? It is like trying to convince Greta Thunberg that climate change is a good thing. Or convincing Robert Kennedy that the earth is not flat. It is cool what Margrethe Vestager already has achieved. She became the nightmare of all big corporations.

I think it’s more likely to have a productive discussion with her than it would be some of these grandstanding US politicians. It also appears she’s on her way out of power. She’s been doing this for ten years this year.

And I think it’s more likely for Apple to come to an agreement than some others listed. Apple already (say they) believe privacy is a fundamental human right, same thing the EU says.

Wait are you saying Bobby Kennedy was a flat earther?

 

[m4mario]

Tim is trying to win the trust of the anti-trust chief.

 

[Sorinut]

America creates, the EU regulates. Sorry, America. I say this as a Brit who is happy to be out of the EU. This is an institution that, rightly, has concerns about global corporations with monopoly practices, but who will damage consumer choice and security by forcing my message product of choice to provide backdoors to competing message products that I do not wish to use but, tacitly, will have a share in.

I like that idea, since our Congress is too spineless and paid-off to do anything about US industries and tech companies.

We (US) have abdicated our responsibility to the populace.

 

[djphat2000]

I can picture Tim Cook saying as he points to the EU stars flag "We are leaving this!" 🤓
Hopeful that Tim can talk some sense into them. Maybe they figure something out that isn't so onerous.
But, if not. Then walk away.