Italy fines Apple, Google, $11 million over use of customer data

Wow ... Italy seems determined to drive tech companies out of its borders.

What practices is it claiming Apple is engaging in? ... that it keeps the names of its customers and promotes new products to those customers?

How is that any different from any company that exists within Italy?

It almost seems like they're using tech companies as an income stream.

Let me see if I understand. If my fashion boutique categorizes all the people entering the store, passing by the racks of clothing, by age, look, style, by the location of where the trendy stuff is, by the lighting of the store, and how it influences the purchases, and on, and on. Then, make the proper arrangements and division of the potential of the clients browsing, purchasing, abandoning the stuff that they don’t like, what colours are more popular…, and I keep track of all the variations. Make a successful shop; and I refuse to share the information with the lazy guy across the hall. And, I grow because of my ingenuity, solutions, innovation, and as a result I leave the competition on the dust…, then, I am forced to share my data…?

Jayzzzuuuzzzzzz.

lorca2770 said:

Let me see if I understand. If my fashion boutique categorizes all the people entering the store, passing by the racks of clothing, by age, look, style, by the location of where the trendy stuff is, by the lighting of the store, and how it influences the purchases, and on, and on. Then, make the proper arrangements and division of the potential of the clients browsing, purchasing, abandoning the stuff that they don’t like, what colours are more popular…, and I keep track of all the variations. Make a successful shop; and I refuse to share the information with the lazy guy across the hall. And, I grow because of my ingenuity, solutions, innovation, and as a result I leave the competition on the dust…, then, I am forced to share my data…?

Jayzzzuuuzzzzzz.

It's more like a shopping mall owner also running a store within the mall, and using its knowledge of how people move through the mall to the benefit of their store and the detriment of the other stores.  Or even changing the way the mall works to push people into its own store.

The problem is the platform owner, or company in a position of power, that is able to steer traffic and customer behaviour, and also being privy to a large amount of customer data, is able to use that to a competitive advantage in other, unrelated, or largely unrelated commercial activity.  Google uses its power in search to push its web browser, web applications, shopping, and other services.  Apple uses its power in operating systems and app stores to push its associated applications and services.  This kind of use of power is what antitrust is all about.

It's not much different from Microsoft pushing Internet Explorer in the 1990s, which they were convicted over, in the USA.

lorca2770 said:

Let me see if I understand. If my fashion boutique categorizes all the people entering the store, passing by the racks of clothing, by age, look, style, by the location of where the trendy stuff is, by the lighting of the store, and how it influences the purchases, and on, and on. Then, make the proper arrangements and division of the potential of the clients browsing, purchasing, abandoning the stuff that they don’t like, what colours are more popular…, and I keep track of all the variations. Make a successful shop; and I refuse to share the information with the lazy guy across the hall. And, I grow because of my ingenuity, solutions, innovation, and as a result I leave the competition on the dust…, then, I am forced to share my data…?

Jayzzzuuuzzzzzz.

Perhaps you missed the part about failing to adequately inform customers of how their data was being used and how they were using aggressive means to accumulate that data in the first place. 

avon b7 said:

lorca2770 said:

Let me see if I understand. If my fashion boutique categorizes all the people entering the store, passing by the racks of clothing, by age, look, style, by the location of where the trendy stuff is, by the lighting of the store, and how it influences the purchases, and on, and on. Then, make the proper arrangements and division of the potential of the clients browsing, purchasing, abandoning the stuff that they don’t like, what colours are more popular…, and I keep track of all the variations. Make a successful shop; and I refuse to share the information with the lazy guy across the hall. And, I grow because of my ingenuity, solutions, innovation, and as a result I leave the competition on the dust…, then, I am forced to share my data…?

Jayzzzuuuzzzzzz.

Perhaps you missed the part about failing to adequately inform customers of how their data was being used and how they were using aggressive means to accumulate that data in the first place. 

In Europe customer consent must be opt in, Italy accuses Apple that some checkboxes are checked by default.