2d ago

How are the blatant anti-competitive practices of Apple just…allowed? How is this even possible?

For example:

You MUST use Apple’s own apps (iMessage, Phone, etc.) as well as Apple’s own App Store
- To be fair, the EU is doing work to solve this particular issue…but most of the reforms are only for EU customers
You have to use WebKit when developing a browser for ~~macOS~~ iOS and iPadOS, you can’t use Gecko or Blink
iOS apps must be developed using XCode IF YOU WANT TO PUBLISH IT ON THE APP STORE, which is only available on MacOS…

~~That last one is weird. Why can’t you compile Swift outside of MacOS (i.e. third party IDEs)? Why can only XCode do it?~~

edit: Gecko and Blink based browsers are available on macOS. I learnt something new today. Not for iOS or iPadOS though. Also, Xcode is only a requirement for publishing in the App Store. You are able to compile Swift in any OS. You'll just need to distribute the app via sideloading and/or third-party app stores (in the EU)

60 comments

If Apple were the only player on the block, at least in Europe they would be under a lot more pressure. But they're not. There are other OSs (although only one really matters), there are other phone makers.
Antitrust is more reactive. There is a market, a dominant player, said player plays unfairly, the authorities react. That reaction takes years to go through all the levels of courts available. By the time we get a final ruling, the market has long moved on. The corporations know that too. As long as the lawyers are cheaper than the money they stand to lose they will carry on.
And in Apple's defense: the mobile operating system market is not that old. And it's not clearly defined. And as long as there is wiggle room they can do whatever they want. Part of the problem is that the legislation dealing with antitrust on either side of the Atlantic is like copyright law: no longer fit for purpose.