UK Watchdog Targets Apple, Google Mobile Ecosystems With New Digital Market Powers (apnews.com) 10
Britain's competition watchdog launched investigations into Apple and Google's mobile ecosystems on Thursday under new powers to tackle digital market abuses that took effect this year. The Competition and Markets Authority will examine whether the tech giants' control over operating systems, app stores and browsers constitutes "strategic market status" requiring regulatory intervention.
The probe will focus on potential barriers to competition, preferential treatment of their own apps, and whether developers face unfair terms for app distribution. The regulator could force changes including mandatory access to key mobile functions or allowing users to download apps outside official stores.
The probe will focus on potential barriers to competition, preferential treatment of their own apps, and whether developers face unfair terms for app distribution. The regulator could force changes including mandatory access to key mobile functions or allowing users to download apps outside official stores.
translation (Score:2)
"We have a budget problem so we'll try and shake the money tree for spare change."
And then what? (Score:1)
We all agree these big monopolies are bad, but what do we do to make the situation better? We can stop them, but then clones of them will take over. We can impose rules upon them, but that just manipulates already distorted markets. Do we make them utilities? They seem to want that, or at least their employees do, because it will enable the bloat to continue.
Re: (Score:3)
Laws to ensure a level playing field are not, "just manipulating already distorted markets". They are protecting free markets from the inevitable slide toward monopolies.
Re: And then what? (Score:2)
"We all agree these big monopolies are bad, but what do we do to make the situation better? We can stop them, but then clones of them will take over."
This is super obvious. First, break up the biggest ones. Second, don't allow these massive mergers in the future. This prevents the clones of them from existing.
Obvious B.S. (Score:2)
domestic competition? (Score:2)
Seems part of the argument is "These US tech companies have spent years/decades and billions producing products for which people will pay a premium price. We will tax them now, with the idea that our domestic industry can eventually produce a competing product."
Re: (Score:2)
So companies that do not manufacture in the EU will be subject to massive tariffs , fines, etc
Patent and copyright laws will be changed to protect EU interest
World trade will be done in Euro's
The EU will demand payment from non EU search engines to index it
The EU will started up its own EUTube for videos
The EU already has Proton Mail, they can make it free to EU citizens
US military will be asked to leave, you don't
Re: (Score:2)
Good luck with all that! I wonder who will buy the bonds to fund this. (What happens to the US when China stops buying USD bonds? I shudder to think...)
I particularly look forward to seeing Europe produce AND PAY FOR a world-class military. Nice hardware, but very little current commitment by the western member countries to actually staff up and maintain sufficient forces. The eastern countries, those who actually have to look at Russia, seem to have a very different perspective on military investments