Apple Warns UK Against Introducing Tougher Tech Regulation (bbc.com) 45
Apple has warned that "EU-style rules" proposed by the UK competition watchdog "are bad for users and bad for developers." From a report: It says EU laws -- which have sought to make it easier for smaller firms to compete with big tech -- have resulted in some Apple features and enhancements being delayed for European users. It argues the UK risks similar hold-ups if the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) pushes ahead with plans designed to open up markets the regulator says is too dominated by Apple and Google.
[...] The CMA wants UK app makers to be able to use and exchange data with Apple's mobile technology -- something called "interoperability." Without it, app makers cannot create the full range of innovative products and services, it argues. Apple claims under EU interoperability rules it has received over 100 requests -- some from big tech rivals -- demanding access to sensitive user data, including sensitive information Apple itself cannot access. It argues the rules are effectively allowing other firms to demand its data and intellectual property for free.
[...] The CMA wants UK app makers to be able to use and exchange data with Apple's mobile technology -- something called "interoperability." Without it, app makers cannot create the full range of innovative products and services, it argues. Apple claims under EU interoperability rules it has received over 100 requests -- some from big tech rivals -- demanding access to sensitive user data, including sensitive information Apple itself cannot access. It argues the rules are effectively allowing other firms to demand its data and intellectual property for free.
Translation: (Score:4, Insightful)
Apple has warned
Translation: "Whaa! We want to keep our duopoly and don't want anyone else playing in our sandbox. Whaa!"
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troll
I prefer being called an "Apple Fanboi", thank you very much!
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Translation: "Whaa! We want to keep our duopoly and don't want anyone else playing in our sandbox. Whaa!"
Or equally "Our profits are going to go down if we have to make products that are actually better than the ones the competitors we have to allow in will offer!"
If Apple is against it... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:If Apple is against it... (Score:5, Insightful)
Such as when Apple opposed [inc.com] government requests to have backdoors into locked devices? How is having those backdoors good for users?
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Such as when Apple opposed [inc.com] government requests to have backdoors into locked devices? How is having those backdoors good for users?
Privacy is a significant part of Apple's brand, and part of what separates them from Google. They would have lost a tremendous amount of brand value, and future income, with backdoors. If they believed they could have earned more money by offering access to their users via backdoors, your sphincter would be sore and purple right now.
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Why would my sphincter be sore and purple? I've only ever had Android phones. I have a Macbook, but the last Apple device I had before that was a second- or third-gen iPod (with wheel and rotating hard drive, not touch).
When you assume, YOU end up with a sore and purple sphincter.
Re: If Apple is against it... (Score:2)
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Such as when Apple opposed [inc.com] government requests to have backdoors into locked devices? How is having those backdoors good for users?
Privacy is a significant part of Apple's brand, and part of what separates them from Google. They would have lost a tremendous amount of brand value, and future income, with backdoors. If they believed they could have earned more money by offering access to their users via backdoors, your sphincter would be sore and purple right now.
The illusion (or perhaps delusion is a better description) of privacy is a part of the Apple brand... Their own T&C says they can "share" whatever they like with 3rd parties. Google are at least honest about it and what they share.
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Maybe law enforcement has trouble getting into your iToy, but they will hand over your iCloud info at the drop of a hat.
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What do you suppose they're going to find in there?
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Whatever data you have on your phone, unless you've actually gone to the trouble of figuring out how to filter the upload (and then only if your settings work and don't disappear).
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And what fascinating data do you suppose are on my phone that the govt would be interested in that I do not want them to have, which they don't already have or can't already get elsewhere?
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Nude photos of your significant other? Logins for your bank and credit card? Phone number of your dominatrix? Texts of you setting up to buy some ecstasy? Whatever activity that you don't want random people to know, it's probably there on your phone. Even if you don't have anything, it's still your info that Apple is handing over without your consent. Whether it would annoy you or not, it would certainly piss me off to no end.
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Nude photos of your significant other?
Shit. I wish I had some.
Logins for your bank and credit card?
The govt can already access those.
Phone number of your dominatrix?
I don't have one, but even if I did, why would I care if someone else had her phone number? It's not like I could afford an exclusive arrangement.
Texts of you setting up to buy some ecstasy?
They don't exist.
Whatever activity that you don't want random people to know, it's probably there on your phone.
While that may be, the question was about the govt, law enforcement in particular, not random people.
Even if you don't have anything, it's still your info that Apple is handing over without your consent.
Sure. But if I don't care, then I don't see how it matters.
Whether it would annoy you or not, it would certainly piss me off to no end.
I have no doubts.
You missed the one good use case I MIGHT be inclined to care about, by the way, which is using access to PLANT inf
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using access to PLANT information
Around the turn of the century when it was reported that the FBI had created their own version of the Back Orifice cracking tool a poster here said, "So what's to stop them from putting a bunch of kiddie porn on your computer and then kicking in the door?"
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Maybe law enforcement has trouble getting into your iToy, but they will hand over your iCloud info at the drop of a hat.
Just enable Advanced Data Protection, and Apple can hand over all the Noise Records the Alphabet Agencies want, for all the good it will do them.
https://support.apple.com/guid... [apple.com]
There.are a few things for which Apple still holds the Private Keys; but even the EFF seems to think that Apple is on the right track, here:
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/... [eff.org]
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Of course it's Opt-In, and likely hidden in a sub-menu of an option commoners will never access, am I right? Store something in AWS and it's automatically encrypted, even the AWS data techs just see an encrypted blob of bits (they actually call it a "blob") unless for some reason you give them the encryption key. Even then they won't hand the blob over without a court order. That's the way it should be done.
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Of course it's Opt-In, and likely hidden in a sub-menu of an option commoners will never access, am I right? Store something in AWS and it's automatically encrypted, even the AWS data techs just see an encrypted blob of bits (they actually call it a "blob") unless for some reason you give them the encryption key. Even then they won't hand the blob over without a court order. That's the way it should be done.
The reason Apple doesn’t Enable ADP by Default is that it wants Users to truly understand how “gone” whole bunches of their Life could be, should they not setup a Backup PW, etc.
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All product makers oppose that [arstechnica.com], because it would be sales suicide when found out, and because it would also make the device less secure and that's a point of competition.
But on the flip side, if any of them were required to do it, it could be illegal for them to tell us about it. So Apple and Google and anyone else too could actually be doing it while shouting about how it's a bad idea, and we wouldn't be allowed to know.
Re: If Apple is against it... (Score:2)
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Something I've not used in...Jesus.....a long, long, LONG time, and was quite glad to see it go "bye-bye!"
Last thing I need in life is another cord to get tangled up in itself, with other cords, and me!
You know what I really want? A device that can "beam" power to other devices in the room, with minimum configuration. It would be awesome to have a little box on my dresser that plugs into the wall, and that little device charges every phone, pair of headphones, watches and whatever else that is in the room,
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Something I've not used in...Jesus.....a long, long, LONG time, and was quite glad to see it go "bye-bye!"
Last thing I need in life is another cord to get tangled up in itself, with other cords, and me!
You know what I really want? A device that can "beam" power to other devices in the room, with minimum configuration. It would be awesome to have a little box on my dresser that plugs into the wall, and that little device charges every phone, pair of headphones, watches and whatever else that is in the room, automatically, and while they're in use.
Somebody should be working on that shit.
Nevermind the stray Microwave Energy.
Hint: Read up on the Inverse Square Law, Moron.
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Yeah.
You know, of all the things in my life that I have to worry about, I gotta tell ya, stray microwave energy from wireless headphones does not really make the top 1 million.
But if it did, I guess I would just use USB headphones. You know, use a port I already have, rather than some additional single-use port that is of extraordinarily limited usefulness.
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Yeah.
You know, of all the things in my life that I have to worry about, I gotta tell ya, stray microwave energy from wireless headphones does not really make the top 1 million.
But if it did, I guess I would just use USB headphones. You know, use a port I already have, rather than some additional single-use port that is of extraordinarily limited usefulness.
Hey dumbass:
I wasn’t talking about “stray Microwave energy” from Headphones(!!!), you Cretin!
I was (obviously) talking about (MUCH Higher!) Microwave Energy from your Hypothetical, Room-Range(!!!) “Wireless Charger” (Power Broadcaster)!!!
But the good thing is, in a Bedroom, the Power Broadcaster can double as a Wireless “Blanket”; by directly warming your skin!
Boy, how the average IQ of Slashdotters has Plummeted. . .
Generally speaking... (Score:5, Insightful)
Generally speaking, if a large tech company warns "Don't do $THING... it'll stifle innovation" it means that $THING is a very good thing that should be done to protect consumers' interests.
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Generally speaking, if a large tech company warns "Don't do $THING... it'll stifle innovation" it means that $THING is a very good thing that should be done to protect consumers' interests.
Not to mention it will likely lead to more innovation.
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Re: Generally speaking... (Score:1)
Re: Generally speaking... (Score:2)
I know USB C is an American invention, so I'm curious what the EU built that isn't a USB port that the EU uses?
"features" (Score:3)
"It says EU laws -- which have sought to make it easier for smaller firms to compete with big tech -- have resulted in some Apple features and enhancements being delayed for European users"
Restrictions are not features for users, despite many hostages' Stockholm syndromes to the contrary.
I would like the right (Score:2)
to own what I buy and that contracts respect advertising. The larger the typeface the more important. Fine print should not take precedence over bold claims. Terms on contracts should require both parties agreeing and one side changing terms cannot cancel service on an item I bought.
ORLY? (Score:1)
Dictaphiles (Score:1)
Necessity makes strange bedfellows (Score:1)
Maker of product ... (Score:2)
Maker of product receiving increased regulation claims increased regulation is bad. More news at 11?
Baloney .. (Score:2)
Baloney, Apple have been gaming the App Store for ages. Apple charges 30% fee for third party apps sold on the App Store and don't allow third party payment methods.
interoperability (Score:2)
The very fact that "Apple warned" makes me want it even more.