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I think Apple knows the big blows are coming and they will most likely not come from the court but legislatively. I mean they are most likely going to lose badl

I think Apple knows the big blows are coming and they will most likely not come from the court but legislatively. I mean they are most likely going to lose badly in the EU anyway but the writting is on the wall regarding digital stores and restrained access to the NFC chip. Even if what they do is legal today, it will not stay that way. Considering that, it seems in their interest to milk the cow as long as they can.

realusername 5y ago
I agree for the analysis on the EU side, I don't know for other countries but the fact that France had to cripple the covid app to get it accepted will strongly play against them in the future, that "show of power" on Apple side was a terrible mistake in my opinion.
- laurent92 5y ago
  France having crippled the Covid app on iPhone but not Android is the reason I still use Apple. Despite their recent attempt at crippling privacy.
  - realusername 5y ago
    That wasn't really about privacy, they just enforced their guidelines.
- raxxorrax 5y ago
  I doubt that. Users reluctant on data sharing will mostly see government as the larger security issue.
  - realusername 5y ago
    Users yeah maybe, the government I don't think so. Remember that Apple was already viewed negatively due to the tax avoidance, now they are adding antitrust issues on top of tax issues.
m12k 5y ago
I think you're exactly right - it's not that Apple can't see which way the wind is blowing, it's that they can still make billions more by dragging out the process and not giving an inch on anything they care about until absolutely forced to. Sure, it might not look great, but it takes a lot more than "bad optics" to persuade a company to willingly forego billions in profit.
- zarzavat 5y ago
  Not sure that a no-compromises approach is good politics in the long term. Politicians love to have easy targets as it deflects from their own failings. As the largest US company, Apple is the juiciest of low-hanging fruit already for their financial and tax arrangements, the last thing they need is to become antitrust public enemy No 1 as well.
  - vkou 5y ago
    Politicians may love to have easy targets, but they are going to have a hard time getting the public to care that they've reduced Apple's app store cut to 10% or something something walled gardens or something something encryption or whatever. Nobody outside of tech cares very much about these issue. You can build your re-election campaign on "I stopped the big bad chemcorp from poisoning our children/I stopped the big bad environmentalists from killing jobs". You can't build a re-election campaign on beating up a target your constituents don't care either way about.
    - akg_67 5y ago
      +1 I agree with you. Politicians will get better traction by going after FB for misinformation, AMZN for preventing unionization of workers. Outside the tech, there is very little ill-will in general public against Apple. Imo, even Microsoft had more ill-will in general public during it's antitrust issues.
    - tonypace 5y ago
      Remember the Templars. What Apple is in danger of becoming is a very wealthy Pinata that nobody feels bad for when you hit it. Developing that kind of reputation can be existentially bad for an organization.
hoseja 5y ago
But would any of this come so soon if they didn't insist on squeezing the cow so damn hard in the first place?

realusername 5y ago

I agree for the analysis on the EU side, I don't know for other countries but the fact that France had to cripple the covid app to get it accepted will strongly play against them in the future, that "show of power" on Apple side was a terrible mistake in my opinion.

laurent92 5y ago
France having crippled the Covid app on iPhone but not Android is the reason I still use Apple. Despite their recent attempt at crippling privacy.
- realusername 5y ago
  That wasn't really about privacy, they just enforced their guidelines.
raxxorrax 5y ago
I doubt that. Users reluctant on data sharing will mostly see government as the larger security issue.
- realusername 5y ago
  Users yeah maybe, the government I don't think so. Remember that Apple was already viewed negatively due to the tax avoidance, now they are adding antitrust issues on top of tax issues.

m12k 5y ago

I think you're exactly right - it's not that Apple can't see which way the wind is blowing, it's that they can still make billions more by dragging out the process and not giving an inch on anything they care about until absolutely forced to. Sure, it might not look great, but it takes a lot more than "bad optics" to persuade a company to willingly forego billions in profit.

zarzavat 5y ago
Not sure that a no-compromises approach is good politics in the long term. Politicians love to have easy targets as it deflects from their own failings. As the largest US company, Apple is the juiciest of low-hanging fruit already for their financial and tax arrangements, the last thing they need is to become antitrust public enemy No 1 as well.
- vkou 5y ago
  Politicians may love to have easy targets, but they are going to have a hard time getting the public to care that they've reduced Apple's app store cut to 10% or something something walled gardens or something something encryption or whatever. Nobody outside of tech cares very much about these issue. You can build your re-election campaign on "I stopped the big bad chemcorp from poisoning our children/I stopped the big bad environmentalists from killing jobs". You can't build a re-election campaign on beating up a target your constituents don't care either way about.
  - akg_67 5y ago
    +1 I agree with you. Politicians will get better traction by going after FB for misinformation, AMZN for preventing unionization of workers. Outside the tech, there is very little ill-will in general public against Apple. Imo, even Microsoft had more ill-will in general public during it's antitrust issues.
  - tonypace 5y ago
    Remember the Templars. What Apple is in danger of becoming is a very wealthy Pinata that nobody feels bad for when you hit it. Developing that kind of reputation can be existentially bad for an organization.

hoseja 5y ago

But would any of this come so soon if they didn't insist on squeezing the cow so damn hard in the first place?