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I', all for competition. Tell Apple they should break off the App Store into another business... objection from me. But to force a company to run the App Store, with all the associated costs that go with it, for free, is thievery and unethical.

Apple may likely start charging anyone who has an app a feee to list it. Is that really good for consumers? No, it just shifts the scale wherein Apple doesn't make a commission on each charge.

No one is forcing Apple to run their app store for free or run an app store at all. They can choose to charge or not charge whatever they want for app listings, ads, developer fees, commissions, etc. but at least those things will now be based on competition in more of a free and open market instead of more of a closed market with restrictions on app access.



The result being that everyone will pay for the benefits of the few. Or, put another way, everyone suffers equally: socialism defined.

Again, capitalism is about open competition. Apple, by restricting sideloading, alternative app stores, alternative browser engines, etc. on its dominant mobile OS, is restricting open competition.
 
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No, you just like being under the thumb of corporations instead of the government.

I don't consider having to use Google or Apple, if I want a smartphone, as freedom. Another angle; what do I do if I don't want to support private and shareholder-owned petroleum companies, of any kind, for any reason? Do I have that freedom?

I've always (since college) worked at not-for-profit companies. What are my not-for-profit tech companies? Where is that freedom?
You are free to go and create your own or live off the grid.

Non profit generally works when there is a mission and is largely supported by for profit people. Why don't you just ask people to work for free, that's non-profit.

Ahh, you just want others to do for free.
 
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Notice how none of those bullet points have anything to do with consumers.

Notice how wrong you are.

Examples of the “do’s”: gatekeepers will for example have to:
  • allow third parties to inter-operate with the gatekeeper’s own services in certain specific situations;
Apps now integrate on the same level as Apple apps. My apps get more features and are better integrated.
  • allow their business users to access the data that they generate in their use of the gatekeeper’s platform;
Equal footing on competing with Apple, but could be a detriment for me.
  • provide companies advertising on their platform with the tools and information necessary for advertisers and publishers to carry out their own independent verification of their advertisements hosted by the gatekeeper;
  • allow their business users to promote their offer and conclude contracts with their customers outside the gatekeeper’s platform.
I can now buy services in app without having to pay Apple a 15%/30% premium, either cheaper app service for me or a better app due to the company making more money and being able to compete on an equal footing.
 
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The EU's idea of open/free competition is the desktop OS market. That's the problem. Historically, the desktop OS market has not proven to be more competitive than the mobile OS market.

How things play out in iOS (and other areas) remains to be seen but at least it will be more of a free and open market path.
 
And don't forget, people in the USA make much more money than people in Europe, it is not even close. And this is before taking into account the super high taxes in Europe.
It's difficult to compare taxes and whether or not the U.S. has higher or lower taxes depends on the metric used. Federal tax revenues as % of GDP? The U.S. is on the lower end (https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-book/how-do-us-taxes-compare-internationally). However, that's only one way of looking at tax burden/rate.

Another way of looking at tax rates (https://stats.oecd.org/index.aspx?DataSetCode=CTS_ETR) has the U.S. lower than many countries but higher than many European countries.

It's also difficult to compare because we have to add up all taxes people pay (local, state, federal) to get a sense of total tax burden. It's not particularly straightforward to compare this across countries, especially when you add in indirect taxes like excise and tariffs.

Then we also need to consider the cost of health insurance. I get health insurance through my employer. The total cost each year (what I pay + what my employer pays is about 20% of my current salary). What if the U.S. had a nationalized health insurance system for everyone? All that money could go to the government as taxes. I'd be paying exactly the same amount and receiving exactly the same amount of money but my taxes would look much higher. That's effectively what happens in most countries other than the U.S.

We already know the U.S. spends more on healthcare than many other countries without outcomes that are better on average. Shifting costs from me/my employer to "me" through taxes would look like higher taxes but it's possible I end up with more money overall if I receive a raise because my employer doesn't have to spend X thousands of dollars on my health insurance (yes, my employer would give me a raise in this hypothetical situation).

All of this is much more complicated than I wrote but it's not as easy as people in the USA make more and have lower taxes. That's only part of a complex story.
 
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The health care is so good there in fact the elite travel to the US when they really need it. Thankfully it’s a lot easier for Canadians to make the trip.


That’s under the assumption that billionaires just sit on that money and do nothing with it. They build things, make large purchases, and one way or another keep tens of thousands of people employed.

I’m sure “the lowly” plumbers, carpenters, electricians, etc. are happy the billionaires keep them busy. I’m sure “the lowly people” that work in shipping/receiving at Bombardier are happy billionaires are purchasing their company’s jets. How many tens of thousands Apple employees are happily working away as you read this supporting Tim Cook and the multi-trillion dollar Apple corporation? Contrary to the cartoon Scrooge McDuck, billionaires do not swim through vaults of gold and jewels.

And the reason why our healthcare system has dissolved in to the state that it is currently in is because of government regulation. There was once a time, not so long ago, people paid reasonable prices for healthcare. People paid the doctor directly for services rendered. Families health care costs exploded after the affordable healthcare act.
This is a tech/Apple forum, but I invite you to share your amazing political insights in r/conservatives.
 
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No one is forcing Apple to run their app store for free or run an app store at all. They can choose to charge or not charge whatever they want for app listings, ads, developer fees, commissions, etc. but at least those things will now be based on competition in more of a free and open market instead of more of a closed market with restrictions on app access.





Again, capitalism is about open competition. Apple, by restricting sideloading, alternative app stores, alternative browser engines, etc. on its dominant mobile OS, is restricting open competition.

Why can't I go and open a shop inside of a mall without paying rent? I want all the privileges of the store front without having to pay the mall owner.
 
I am curious to see how the EU will regulate the free TikTok. Europe will have done something if they regulate free.

The EU will be regulating TikTok by requiring greater policing of illegal content, prohibiting certain advertising practices, sharing certain data with government authorities, making their algorithm optional for users, user age specific restrictions/requirements, etc.
 
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Again, capitalism is about open competition. Apple, by restricting sideloading, alternative app stores, alternative browser engines, etc. on its dominant mobile OS, is restricting open competition.

Where does this fantasy come from? Competition is about… winning. This is absolutely a hand out to the big boys - the Walmarts of the app world - to cut their overhead, while leaving the little guy stranded picking up the bag, and the costs, associated to the platform.
 
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You are free to go and create your own or live off the grid.

Non profit generally works when there is a mission and is largely supported by for profit people. Why don't you just ask people to work for free, that's non-profit.

Ahh, you just want others to do for free.
Nonsense. I worked for non-profit hospitals for my entire career. Any surplus was plowed right back into the hospital.
 
If apps are required to be in the AppStore and have the option of third party stores then fine.
Honestly, it's not fine. I want apple to deal with customer services and I will gladly pay! I have no desire to do it myself.
 
DSA and DMA rules, since they got active i have a clean YouTube Home without nonsense videos.

Love it!😍


View attachment 2255862
What have you watched that you don't want anyone to see or know about....guess what No one cares! This stuff is such nonsense...We have wars going on... Who cares if you watched something online it shows in history..woopeee as Eric Cartman would say "What's the big freakin deal man!"
 
Again, capitalism is about open competition. Apple, by restricting sideloading, alternative app stores, alternative browser engines, etc. on its dominant mobile OS, is restricting open competition.
Don't expect American Apple fans to argue this issue with any intelligence. They talk out of both sides of their mouths. I think we should all be concerned about the restrictive anti-freedom business model Apple has created with the App Store, where Apple acts as bridge troll, deciding who gets to pass and collecting the Apple tax for every transaction.

What if car companies operated this way? What if we could only charge or fuel our cars at company owned stations?

What if car companies prevented their cars from being driven into certain parts of town because they don't want their brands associated with those neighborhoods (the way Apple bans certain types of apps from the App Store)?

Or what if we could only get content from our TV manufacturer?

One can imagine all kinds of scenarios where companies create artificial barriers in order to nickel and dime their customers and/or restrict what their customers can and cannot do. This model should not be allowed to stand.
 
Don't expect American Apple fans to argue this issue with any intelligence. They talk out of both sides of their mouths. I think we should all be concerned about the restrictive anti-freedom business model Apple has created with the App Store, where Apple acts as bridge troll, deciding who gets to pass and collecting the Apple tax for every transaction.

What if car companies operated this way? What if we could only charge or fuel our cars at company owned stations?

What if car companies prevented their cars from being driven into certain parts of town because they don't want their brands associated with those neighborhoods (the way Apple bans certain types of apps from the App Store)?

Or what if we could only get content from our TV manufacturer?

One can imagine all kinds of scenarios where companies create artificial barriers in order to nickel and dime their customers and/or restrict what their customers can and cannot do. This model should not be allowed to stand.
You are going WAAAAY out on a limb to justify yourself...I have been kind to keep the USA comments out.... Let us do the same for the other side of the pond OK? All people want to do is tear others apart in this world now. I honestly wish the iPhone and Andriods never created. Society would be better.
 
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You are free to go and create your own or live off the grid.

Non profit generally works when there is a mission and is largely supported by for profit people. Why don't you just ask people to work for free, that's non-profit.

Ahh, you just want others to do for free.

I make six-figures working for a not-for-profit. What is this working for free you refer to?
 
Why can't I go and open a shop inside of a mall without paying rent? I want all the privileges of the store front without having to pay the mall owner.
This is a nonsense argument. Apple does not own my device. I do. I paid for it. Apple isn't entitled to a lifetime revenue stream because I bought one of their hardware products. No other computing platform works this way and we should not tolerate it.

It is in the best interest of society to have open platforms, not gatekeepers and bridge trolls, which has sadly become Apple's business model. What they're doing is just a digital spin on the old "company store" model where you had to see the company doctor, send your kids to the company school, and shop at the company store. This model is anti-freedom, anti-consumer, and is designed only to further enrich and entrench the bridge troll.
 
You are going WAAAAY out on a limb to justify yourself...I have been kind to keep the USA comments out.... Let us do the same for the other side of the pond OK? All people want to do is tear others apart in this world now. I honestly wish the iPhone and Andriods never created. Society would be better.
I don't think you understood my comment.
 
The important thing that a lot of folks miss when it comes to this kind of news -- especially those who think they are in favor of innovation -- is that this is anti-trust regulation. That is, it's anti-monopoly regulation. Folks, monopolies are not innovators. They are patent hogs who care more about shareholder value. They use their vast piles of cash not for innovation but for stock buybacks. Those are the facts. I love Apple stuff, but I think we all know it could be better. So could Google's. None of them are especially great at innovation. They do the bare minimum, and dress it up with fancy marketing budgets.

One of the goals of anti-trust regulation is to shake things up and make space for innovation.

The US used to understand this. That's why they broke up the phone monopolies, for example. They don't do that anymore. Because the government has been captured by Wall Street, Big Tech, Big Pharma, and the military contractors.
 
Why can't I go and open a shop inside of a mall without paying rent? I want all the privileges of the store front without having to pay the mall owner.
Street where the Mall is located = Internet
Mall = Server Hosting e.g AWS, Azure
Inner Shops = AppStore
Inner Shops Items = Apps

Well, You could open a new Mall and open a shop inside it on a street of your choice or simply open a store outside a mall on a street of your choice.

That’s competition!
 
This is a nonsense argument. Apple does not own my device. I do. I paid for it. Apple isn't entitled to a lifetime revenue stream because I bought one of their hardware products. No other computing platform works this way and we should not tolerate it.

It is in the best interest of society to have open platforms, not gatekeepers and bridge trolls, which has sadly become Apple's business model. What they're doing is just a digital spin on the old "company store" model where you had to see the company doctor, send your kids to the company school, and shop at the company store. This model is anti-freedom, anti-consumer, and is designed only to further enrich and entrench the bridge troll.
You do realize computers were specialty items for only professionals till unfortunately the 2000s. Honestly there needs to be control from people. Not everyone should have or use a computer.
I don't think you understood my comment.
oh, I do. I just come from a place that thinks we need gatekeepers...If I made something and the government tried to tell me it has to be more open for others to use it. Basically, the middle finger would come out to them. If build it I keep it the way it is..let someone do something themselves... A phone isn't a right. You don't need one to live....So honestly forget regulation. Also, I was trying to come down the Americans/ EU comments...enough already with that...that kind of mentality increased on mac rumors and the world in 2016..Before that, this was just a nice place to come and talk.
 
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Street where the Mall is located = Internet
Mall = Server Hosting e.g AWS, Azure
Inner Shops = AppStore
Inner Shops Items = Apps

Well, You could open a new Mall and open a shop inside it on a street of your choice or simply open a store outside a mall.

That’s competition!
Or you can interact with the world and go to the mall.
 
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