The shoe drops.

pds

pds

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The DOJ has finally decided that iPhone (with 55% market share) is a monopoly and uses its monopoly power to the detriment of consumers and in restraint of trade. Somehow the politicians have to look like they are taking on big tech.

MSN but at least not paywalled.

From the linked article:
  • Suppressing the quality of messaging between the iPhone and competing platforms like Android
How about "Raising the quality of messaging by providing security and privacy."
  • Blocking third-party developers from creating competing digital wallets with tap-to-pay functionality for the iPhone
How about "Creating secure and reliable digital wallet that protects user data from leaks by companies like Target."
Blue bubble envy is all it is. ;^)
 
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The digital wallet issue has been in the courts for some time now. That's where Apple just might have tried to pull a quick buck by demanding 30% of the proceeds.

And remember when everyone was laughing a pointing a figure at the company with only 10% of the market share?
 
So. Card companies get (+-) 2.5% per transaction. Those are the "proceeds" and Apple wants 30% of that? Fair sez I.

That means $0.75 of the transaction for doing at least part of what the card companies were doing. Remember in the day the store had to call for an authorization number for charges over a certain amount. Now that happens automagically through some algorithm somewhere. If I understand correctly (I could be wrong) now Apple is that somewhere, authorizing the card through its processes that mask the actual card number and protect the consumer.

Apple is making pretty pennies for sure and they add up to big bucks, but hardly as a strong arm tactic abusing its position as the one who facilitated the transaction.

The whole thing is laughable - blaming Apples innovation for the lack of innovation in other companies. Apple will file for summary judgement and if there is a semblance of sense in the court, it will concur. That is a big IF.
 
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This latest lawsuit is more than the digital wallet.

Here's more on the issue from Reuters:
https://www.reuters.com/legal/apple...-beat-microsoft-tech-industry-has-2024-03-22/

The government accused Apple of suppressing technologies that would have increased competition among smartphones in five areas: so-called "super apps," cloud streamed gaming apps, messaging apps, smartwatches and digital wallets.
One example the government gave is familiar to anyone who texts from an iPhone to a user of an Android phone — the dreaded "green bubble" that results in hindrances such as grainy photos sent by text that don't apply when texting between two phones using Apple's iOS operating system.
Click to expand...
 
Agreed - though I would say all the more reason to choose an iPhone.

The lawsuit is a reworking of the old complaint that Apple created the ecosystem to dupe buyers into the "walled garden". It claims that it keeps consumers hostage in that ecosystem and continues to build products (watches, wallets, apps and stores) to make it too expensive to leave. And it claims that Apple restrains trade by innovating so well that other people can't innovate. This is what keeps Merrick Garland up at night??

The government is posturing to show that it has consumer's and citizen's backs, trying to force Apple to open its system and grant access to core APIs and technologies so other people have a chance to make something good. This is not unlike the San Bernadino nonsense when the DOJ (FBI?) tried to force Apple to create a backdoor to jailbreak criminal's phones. I hope it has a better more complete result. Summary judgement - throw this nonsense out.

I wonder who really wants to ditch their iPhone and can't because they are too invested. It's the people outside who are crying, our stuff would be better if we had Apple make it. Blue Bubble envy, plain and simple.

Androids have their adherents and their strengths that are different from iPhone, (or so I'm told).
I chose the strengths of the iPhone back with a 4 and have bought 2 phones since then, (I also got three others for free). 14 years, 3 iPhone purchases. I have apps that I bought and ones that are free. I do not feel trapped, abused, manipulated, held hostage or mistreated. Really, I wonder what sort of person does.
 
Attorney Steve Berman, whose law firm Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro filed, opens new tab one of the new cases, noted that his firm had earlier sued Apple for allegedly thwarting competition for its Apple Pay mobile wallet.
Click to expand...

From the article - professional Apple sue-er who has been organizing class action lawsuits for years. He came after Apple for ebook pricing and app store policies. So far winnings are around $550 million.

His (maybe) Motto "Stub Toe - Sue Apple" because iPhone is addictive and I became enthralled in the content.
 
Cheryl said:
There is more. Suddenly a couple of consumers are trying to capitalize on the idea that Apple curtailed the competition.
https://www.reuters.com/technology/...age-us-justice-department-lawsuit-2024-03-25/

I didn't feel like I was cheated.
Click to expand...

It's called a walled garden by those consumers with lesser smart phone think iMessage should be on Android too becloud ause kids see the iPhone as status symbol! Also andriod users are jealous of iPhones green button in iMessage and from MMS if blue! I call that bad blood!
 
Not even.

It is EU regulators doing what regulators do - keep their jobs by regulating.
Then the professional tort/class action lawyers do what they do - scrounge for their 30% common fund.
 
pds said:
Agreed - though I would say all the more reason to choose an iPhone.

The lawsuit is a reworking of the old complaint that Apple created the ecosystem to dupe buyers into the "walled garden". It claims that it keeps consumers hostage in that ecosystem and continues to build products (watches, wallets, apps and stores) to make it too expensive to leave. And it claims that Apple restrains trade by innovating so well that other people can't innovate. This is what keeps Merrick Garland up at night??

The government is posturing to show that it has consumer's and citizen's backs, trying to force Apple to open its system and grant access to core APIs and technologies so other people have a chance to make something good. This is not unlike the San Bernadino nonsense when the DOJ (FBI?) tried to force Apple to create a backdoor to jailbreak criminal's phones. I hope it has a better more complete result. Summary judgement - throw this nonsense out.

I wonder who really wants to ditch their iPhone and can't because they are too invested. It's the people outside who are crying, our stuff would be better if we had Apple make it. Blue Bubble envy, plain and simple.

Androids have their adherents and their strengths that are different from iPhone, (or so I'm told).
I chose the strengths of the iPhone back with a 4 and have bought 2 phones since then, (I also got three others for free). 14 years, 3 iPhone purchases. I have apps that I bought and ones that are free. I do not feel trapped, abused, manipulated, held hostage or mistreated. Really, I wonder what sort of person does.
Click to expand...
I ditched my old Mid-2012 Mac Pro four years ago when Apple discontinued security patches and OS support for it.
Decided to spend some time on a PC for a while. Built up a really nice PC installed a dual boot system with Linux and Windows (10 then later 11).
Then decided that it was time to replace my then six year old iPhone Se for the same reason, and got a Google Pixel 6a.
The pixel has recently given up it's ghost when the battery swelled up and split the phone open.
I replaced it with a current iPhone Se.
I will soon be purchasing a new Mac. Probably either an M3 iMac with a ram upgrade, or an M2pro Mini and a new display.

Yes, Apple's ecosystem is a walled garden, but it works so much better in every way than the Windows and third party software system does.
I think Kubuntu Linux works as dependably as MacOS and is as secure if not even more secure, but it is not as user friendly. I had to hit the books, both figuratively and literally, and none of the video editing software comes close to being comparable to iMovie, much less FCP.

This is not Apple bullying me into buying their products. It is Microsoft, and Google, and all of the other tech companies making and selling crummier product. That's on them, not Apple.

As the classic RUSH song goes.. "why move around the world, when Eden was so near?"
 
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