If you want a better word, how about 'oligarchy' (iOS/Android). That said 'monopoly' is essentially a fine word, it captures the essence of the situation. Mon

If you want a better word, how about 'oligarchy' (iOS/Android). That said 'monopoly' is essentially a fine word, it captures the essence of the situation. Monopolists in particular dictate the terms to all their surrounding entities, which is what Apple does. It's actually a misunderstanding of the nature of monopoly to characterise it as the only 'single provider' of a service, because that technical differentiation doesn't articulate the real nature of what's happening, which is generally an imbalance of power. A 'responsable regulatory approach' to such things and social media is well past due, the only risk from my perspective is that the powers that be are fools and will either get it entirely wrong, either by over regulating or missing the pointe entirely.