6 ms·

Just a thought, but why doesn't the EU (and only the EU has the will for this) have a government funded storefront for all apps. Then make Google and Apple add

by Magodo 6y ago

Just a thought, but why doesn't the EU (and only the EU has the will for this) have a government funded storefront for all apps. Then make Google and Apple add this storefront as an app on par with Play Store and App Store on all their devices. Sounds much more efficient than creating regulation after regulation

nicky0 6y ago
Sounds more like something China would do.
andrewxdiamond 6y ago
That would be very expensive and time cinsuming for a government entity to run. Let these companies figure out how to make money while playing by the rules
nsgi 6y ago
Because i would give the government too much control and it would probably suck?
- Kbelicius 6y ago
  How would it give "too much control" to the government and why is it better that that control be in private hands?
  - askmike 6y ago
    > How would it give "too much control" to the government It might allow the government to combine data it has on citizens with this data. On top of the fact that in that situation one single entity (the government) would see everything from everyone. > why is it better that that control be in private hands? That argument is not being made. But right now you got Apple and Google competing, and new players might compete with those two at some point to. If you got a government no one can compete with that controls this data on everyone (as opposed to it currently being split between two big providers).
  - riffraff 6y ago
    Governments could decide that some things should not be permitted "informally". For example they could restrict any app connected to political opponents. Europe does not have the built-in distust of the governments that the US does but it's dangerous.
    - anoncake 6y ago
      As long as other stores are allowed, there is no danger.
      - viro 6y ago
        Like the amazon android store? That wasn't a complete failure at all.
0xfaded 6y ago
In my oppinion EU governments already have their thumbs in more pies than they should. I think a more interesting point is how EU companies can hope to compete with the likes of Google if non-EU companies can effectively subsidise their EU operations by using revenue from more profitable markets. The EU is most certainly profitable to operate in, it is the wealthiest block on earth. It's just that margins are slimmer and cost of business is higher. Heavy regulation of local comanies forces either heavy subsidies (basically all r&d in Europe is 50%+ subsidised) or a Chinese style blanket ban on competition.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- DelightOne 6y ago
  I think they believe regulations can fix it. I'm not sure they do.
- disabled 6y ago
  We actually get fairly good value for our tax dollar, as EU citizens. I am both American and an EU citizen. While I love the United States dearly, I have a safer, more stable life working in the EU.
  - 0xfaded 6y ago
    I've also lived in the US and now Europe. Don't get me wrong, each had it's pros and cons; as an individual both my purchasing power and quality of life was better in the US. Outside of universal education and healthcare, my conclusion is that the value of the European tax dollar is unfairly distributed. At the local level, European grants and subsidies create jobs for educated people who chose the right course of study. At the Eurozone level, you have the northern "export based" economies essentially using a devalued currency to outcompete the southern countries. Relatively that means more tax dollars for the northern countries, when ideally those would be spread somewhat evenly across Europe. I think Europe needs a technocratic tool that makes the economic performance of all countries everyone's problem. Denmark has an unemployment and retraining scheme called a-kasse that is reasonably well implemented. I could see a centrally funded, Europe wide implementation could be a solution.
jevgeni 6y ago
I think the problem here is mandate. That's seen as a venture into the private markets, which no EU governing body has, unless it's some form of PPP or something similar. EU's mandate is creating a harmonized, balanced marketplace within it's collective borders, through regulation and incentives.
akdor1154 6y ago
I actually think that's a reasonable (if unlikely) idea. In Australia we had a government-owned-but-run-for-profit private medical insurance company. The idea was that the government could use competition in the market instead of heavy-handed regulation to make the sector play nice. It worked beautifully. Great government use of a free market mechanism. (A few years ago our conservative government sold it off because they are ideologically allergic to the idea, and/or they're just corrupt fucks in the pants of corporates)

by Magodo 6y ago

nicky0 6y ago

Sounds more like something China would do.

andrewxdiamond 6y ago

That would be very expensive and time cinsuming for a government entity to run. Let these companies figure out how to make money while playing by the rules

nsgi 6y ago

Because i would give the government too much control and it would probably suck?

Kbelicius 6y ago
How would it give "too much control" to the government and why is it better that that control be in private hands?
- askmike 6y ago
  > How would it give "too much control" to the government It might allow the government to combine data it has on citizens with this data. On top of the fact that in that situation one single entity (the government) would see everything from everyone. > why is it better that that control be in private hands? That argument is not being made. But right now you got Apple and Google competing, and new players might compete with those two at some point to. If you got a government no one can compete with that controls this data on everyone (as opposed to it currently being split between two big providers).
- riffraff 6y ago
  Governments could decide that some things should not be permitted "informally". For example they could restrict any app connected to political opponents. Europe does not have the built-in distust of the governments that the US does but it's dangerous.
  - anoncake 6y ago
    As long as other stores are allowed, there is no danger.
    - viro 6y ago
      Like the amazon android store? That wasn't a complete failure at all.

0xfaded 6y ago

In my oppinion EU governments already have their thumbs in more pies than they should. I think a more interesting point is how EU companies can hope to compete with the likes of Google if non-EU companies can effectively subsidise their EU operations by using revenue from more profitable markets. The EU is most certainly profitable to operate in, it is the wealthiest block on earth. It's just that margins are slimmer and cost of business is higher. Heavy regulation of local comanies forces either heavy subsidies (basically all r&d in Europe is 50%+ subsidised) or a Chinese style blanket ban on competition.

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
DelightOne 6y ago
I think they believe regulations can fix it. I'm not sure they do.
disabled 6y ago
We actually get fairly good value for our tax dollar, as EU citizens. I am both American and an EU citizen. While I love the United States dearly, I have a safer, more stable life working in the EU.
- 0xfaded 6y ago
  I've also lived in the US and now Europe. Don't get me wrong, each had it's pros and cons; as an individual both my purchasing power and quality of life was better in the US. Outside of universal education and healthcare, my conclusion is that the value of the European tax dollar is unfairly distributed. At the local level, European grants and subsidies create jobs for educated people who chose the right course of study. At the Eurozone level, you have the northern "export based" economies essentially using a devalued currency to outcompete the southern countries. Relatively that means more tax dollars for the northern countries, when ideally those would be spread somewhat evenly across Europe. I think Europe needs a technocratic tool that makes the economic performance of all countries everyone's problem. Denmark has an unemployment and retraining scheme called a-kasse that is reasonably well implemented. I could see a centrally funded, Europe wide implementation could be a solution.

jevgeni 6y ago

I think the problem here is mandate. That's seen as a venture into the private markets, which no EU governing body has, unless it's some form of PPP or something similar. EU's mandate is creating a harmonized, balanced marketplace within it's collective borders, through regulation and incentives.

akdor1154 6y ago

I actually think that's a reasonable (if unlikely) idea. In Australia we had a government-owned-but-run-for-profit private medical insurance company. The idea was that the government could use competition in the market instead of heavy-handed regulation to make the sector play nice. It worked beautifully. Great government use of a free market mechanism. (A few years ago our conservative government sold it off because they are ideologically allergic to the idea, and/or they're just corrupt fucks in the pants of corporates)