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How is Apple's app store specifically anti-competitive with respect to other mobile OSs and devices? I can, to some degree, understand people's gripe with Appl

How is Apple's app store specifically anti-competitive with respect to other mobile OSs and devices? I can, to some degree, understand people's gripe with Apple for DRM behaviors on hardware you own. But I don't see why forcing Apple to host multiple app stores will provide more user-choice in the mobile OS space. It might make Apple's platform more compelling for some users. But it will do the opposite for other users and still doesn't solve the duopoly problem you're citing. I also don't see what the FTC's definition of a monopoly brings to the discussion other than to boogey-man the big bad corporations. It sounds like your issue is with the lack of OS choice in the mobile market. Forcing Apple to allow other app stores does nothing to solve this problem.

heavyset_go 4y ago
Microsoft went to court and lost to the FTC for less. Microsoft leveraged their dominance in the PC OS market to dominate the browser market, as well. The FTC successfully upheld antitrust legislation against Microsoft in that instance. Apple and Google are doing the same with their dominance in the mobile OS market to dominate the mobile app distribution and mobile app payments markets. If you don't see the significance of literal illegal anticompetitive business practices, I don't know what to tell you.
- shagie 4y ago
  I would urge you to specifically read the complaint and identify which provisions would be applicable to Apple's ecosystem. https://www.justice.gov/atr/complaint-us-v-microsoft-corp https://www.justice.gov/atr/complaint-us-v-microsoft-corp Has Apple compelled asked companies that are using Android to dump Android and switch to iOS (for some money)? (P.17) How about having 3rd party iPhone manufacturers be restricted to using iOS as a condition for licensing and distributing iOS? (P.18 - note, if you're making Android and requiring all of the 3rd party manufactures that use it to also have Google Play... that's ok) Has Apple entered into exclusive contracts with all the top ISPs to brand their web pages to work with Safari but not Chrome? (P.28 - note, if you are making Chrome and make a site not work with... say Firefox, that's ok) So yes, Microsoft and the DOJ went to court. But the thing was about Microsoft forcing its terms on other companies that excluded it's competitors. Is Apple going to other companies and enforcing terms that are excluding Android?
- llbeansandrice 4y ago
  Have you even read the Microsoft case? It's not even close to the same thing [0]. Apple hasn't forced it's terms on other companies in nearly the same way. Apple has instead built a hardware and software platform that has a lot of users and is gatekeeping their OS, hardware, and user-base. There are arguments for side-loading on Apple, but that doesn't have anything to do with breaking up the iOS-Android mobile OS duopoly, which seems to be the thing you're really mad about. Android allows side-loading. Making iOS more like Android doesn't strike me as "increasing consumer choice". >illegal anticompetitive business practices None of what Apple has done is apparently illegal. In fact, this is a _new_ law that Apple is complying with. [0] https://www.justice.gov/atr/complaint-us-v-microsoft-corp https://www.justice.gov/atr/complaint-us-v-microsoft-corp

heavyset_go 4y ago

Microsoft went to court and lost to the FTC for less. Microsoft leveraged their dominance in the PC OS market to dominate the browser market, as well. The FTC successfully upheld antitrust legislation against Microsoft in that instance. Apple and Google are doing the same with their dominance in the mobile OS market to dominate the mobile app distribution and mobile app payments markets. If you don't see the significance of literal illegal anticompetitive business practices, I don't know what to tell you.

shagie 4y ago
I would urge you to specifically read the complaint and identify which provisions would be applicable to Apple's ecosystem. https://www.justice.gov/atr/complaint-us-v-microsoft-corp https://www.justice.gov/atr/complaint-us-v-microsoft-corp Has Apple compelled asked companies that are using Android to dump Android and switch to iOS (for some money)? (P.17) How about having 3rd party iPhone manufacturers be restricted to using iOS as a condition for licensing and distributing iOS? (P.18 - note, if you're making Android and requiring all of the 3rd party manufactures that use it to also have Google Play... that's ok) Has Apple entered into exclusive contracts with all the top ISPs to brand their web pages to work with Safari but not Chrome? (P.28 - note, if you are making Chrome and make a site not work with... say Firefox, that's ok) So yes, Microsoft and the DOJ went to court. But the thing was about Microsoft forcing its terms on other companies that excluded it's competitors. Is Apple going to other companies and enforcing terms that are excluding Android?
llbeansandrice 4y ago
Have you even read the Microsoft case? It's not even close to the same thing [0]. Apple hasn't forced it's terms on other companies in nearly the same way. Apple has instead built a hardware and software platform that has a lot of users and is gatekeeping their OS, hardware, and user-base. There are arguments for side-loading on Apple, but that doesn't have anything to do with breaking up the iOS-Android mobile OS duopoly, which seems to be the thing you're really mad about. Android allows side-loading. Making iOS more like Android doesn't strike me as "increasing consumer choice". >illegal anticompetitive business practices None of what Apple has done is apparently illegal. In fact, this is a _new_ law that Apple is complying with. [0] https://www.justice.gov/atr/complaint-us-v-microsoft-corp https://www.justice.gov/atr/complaint-us-v-microsoft-corp