UK Watchdog Targets Apple, Google Mobile Ecosystems With New Digital Market Powers (apnews.com) 21
Britain's competition watchdog launched investigations into Apple and Google's mobile ecosystems on Thursday under new powers to tackle digital market abuses that took effect this year. The Competition and Markets Authority will examine whether the tech giants' control over operating systems, app stores and browsers constitutes "strategic market status" requiring regulatory intervention.
The probe will focus on potential barriers to competition, preferential treatment of their own apps, and whether developers face unfair terms for app distribution. The regulator could force changes including mandatory access to key mobile functions or allowing users to download apps outside official stores.
The probe will focus on potential barriers to competition, preferential treatment of their own apps, and whether developers face unfair terms for app distribution. The regulator could force changes including mandatory access to key mobile functions or allowing users to download apps outside official stores.
translation (Score:2)
"We have a budget problem so we'll try and shake the money tree for spare change."
Re: (Score:3)
The US Government should protect its most innovative companies and keep the cash flowing into the US with threats of tariffs on Europe if it keeps targeting our tech sector with fines and regulations.
Why do so many of these tech giants have a corporate presence in Ireland? Oh right, it is to avoid paying US taxes. Innovative companies do that too.
Re: (Score:2)
Likewise, most US companies have headquarters in Delaware.
And the only US taxes those companies are not paying is on income earned outside the US. All US revenue earned inside the US is taxed properly. Out of US revenue is usually taxed by the local authority.
Note that US income is also present if that money is moved into the US - so all the non-US revenue that
Re: (Score:2)
But yes, the EU should invest heavily into tech, Science, Manufacturing, etc so that they can compete with the USA, and better yet give non US citizens an alternative. They should invest in defence and get rid of the military from an unfriendly country from within their boarders.
I have already killed off all my US subscriptions, and I will not be buying US products for at least the next 4 years
The USA needs to remember they are only 4% of the worlds population
Re: (Score:2)
Proton is a Swiss company. That's not EU (although they are basically an EU vassal state).
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
They are just following the EU. They will mess around, waste money for a few years, and then end up requiring basically the same measures that the EU has required.
The UK is a joke, post-brexit.
And then what? (Score:1)
We all agree these big monopolies are bad, but what do we do to make the situation better? We can stop them, but then clones of them will take over. We can impose rules upon them, but that just manipulates already distorted markets. Do we make them utilities? They seem to want that, or at least their employees do, because it will enable the bloat to continue.
Re: (Score:3)
Laws to ensure a level playing field are not, "just manipulating already distorted markets". They are protecting free markets from the inevitable slide toward monopolies.
Re: And then what? (Score:2)
"We all agree these big monopolies are bad, but what do we do to make the situation better? We can stop them, but then clones of them will take over."
This is super obvious. First, break up the biggest ones. Second, don't allow these massive mergers in the future. This prevents the clones of them from existing.
Obvious B.S. (Score:2)
domestic competition? (Score:2)
Seems part of the argument is "These US tech companies have spent years/decades and billions producing products for which people will pay a premium price. We will tax them now, with the idea that our domestic industry can eventually produce a competing product."
Re: (Score:2)
So companies that do not manufacture in the EU will be subject to massive tariffs , fines, etc
Patent and copyright laws will be changed to protect EU interest
World trade will be done in Euro's
The EU will demand payment from non EU search engines to index it
The EU will started up its own EUTube for videos
The EU already has Proton Mail, they can make it free to EU citizens
US military will be asked to leave, you don't
Re: (Score:2)
Good luck with all that! I wonder who will buy the bonds to fund this. (What happens to the US when China stops buying USD bonds? I shudder to think...)
I particularly look forward to seeing Europe produce AND PAY FOR a world-class military. Nice hardware, but very little current commitment by the western member countries to actually staff up and maintain sufficient forces. The eastern countries, those who actually have to look at Russia, seem to have a very different perspective on military investments
Re: (Score:2)
And the way to do it is through international trade in competition with the USA, getting US companies to actually pay taxes in the EU, etc.
The Trump / USA can no longer be relied on, so their hand is forced anyway.
And yes, the 96% of the worlds population can say NO to the USA and the USA is then right royally screwed because it relies on imports, and more importantly it relies on the exploitation of poorer countries.
The USA does not have the infrastructure, the educated workfor
Re: (Score:2)
What has the EU got to do with this?
Re: (Score:2)
Good luck for the EU standing up to Russia without the US.
Not sure why you felt the need to mention the de-nuclearisation of New Zealand, especially in those terms. New Zealand has a small population a long way from anywhere, so not particularly relevant.
Re: (Score:2)
As for NZ, its evidence that saying NO to the US can be done, and should be done, especially now as it goes rouge.
Equally because it is small and isolated, it was more at risk than say Europe is.
And given Musks political interference in the UK/Germany, its even more imperative the do so.
The USA is no shining beacon of virtue in the world.
Re: domestic competition? (Score:2)
Claims that the Russia economy is on the brink of collapse are over stated. Trumpâ(TM)s idea to drive down the price of oil and gas to bring Russia to the negotiating table could be successful, but I suspect the US will need to subsidise their own production if prices are low enough to be effective, and I canâ(TM)t see that happening.
The EU is definitely not in any place where they could take on Russia directly.