William Gallagher
The European Union's new Digital Markets Act has been responded to by both Apple and Google, with each company saying the regulation would impose limits on their ability to innovate.
Following the EU's publication of its full Digital Markets Act proposal, the two companies most clearly affected have both spoken out against the planned legislation.
According to ABC News, Apple believes the DMA plans present a risk to security.
"[Parts of the DMA] will create unnecessary privacy and security vulnerabilities for our users," said an Apple spokesperson. "Others will prohibit us from charging for intellectual property in which we invest a great deal."
Google says it intends to work with the EU regulators on the implementation of the proposals.
"We support many of the DMA's ambitions around consumer choice and interoperability," said a Google spokesperson. "We remain concerned that some of the rules could reduce innovation and the choice available to Europeans."
Amazon is also potentially affected by the proposals and told ABC News that it was presently reviewing what the rules could mean for its customers.
The rules, which apply to "gatekeeper" firms, defined as those that earn more than $8 billion a year, that run major services such as social media platforms. The Digital Markets Act includes requirements that could see the companies having to radically change their businesses.
Specifically, Apple would be required to allow sideloading of apps onto iPhones via alternative App Stores. It would also have to allow alternative payment methods alongside its own in-app purchase system, all of which Apple has objected to on security grounds
Malcolm Owen
Amber Neely
Andrew Orr
Andrew O'Hara
19 Comments
Consumers have a choice. Use a different product. Choice doesn’t mean I have the right to force a company to provide a product the way I want it. Governments have no right to demand a company make something different than what the company wants to sell, except for safety reasons. If the EU gets away with this, I believe they need to be renamed as dictatorship. That’s what they’ve become.
To all you EU viewers, what has the EU produced lately? Certainly not any mobile devices or computers. Why don't you just build your own phones? Because you can't? Before you try and tell companies from other countries how to run their businesses why don't you try and replace them with something better instead of telling us what to do.
How will this law impact the gatekeeper statuses of Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo with their gaming platforms?
Apple should pill their products, pay the fines and move on
Thing is they tell Apple, "You have 3 months to implement the changes" and even if they do in say 12 months or 18 months, this way the EU can get some FINE$ in just for a good year, BASTARDS!
Google will work with the EU because all they want to make sure is that they are still taking as much data from their products (costumers) as possible. They say they can’t innovate in taking more data I suppose.