EU antitrust chief to Tim Cook: Apple must allow third-party app stores

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The European Union's Margrethe Vestager has met with leaders of US Big Tech firms to discuss their operations in the EU, and with Apple's Tim Cook concentrated on the App Store and Apple Music.

Margrethe Vestager (left) and Tim Cook at Apple Park (Souce: Margrethe Vestager)
Margrethe Vestager (left) and Tim Cook at Apple Park (Souce: Margrethe Vestager)



As previously announced, Vestager came to San Francisco and Palo Alto to speak specifically with the heads of Apple, Google, Broadcom, and Nvidia. Her meetings continue on Friday, but on January 11, 2024, she met with Tim Cook at Apple Park.

Neither the EU nor Apple have released any details of the meeting, but Vestager has posted a very brief summary on Twitter/X.

2 main points from my meeting w/ @tim_cook @apple

compliance w/ #DMA, e.g. @Apple's obligation to allow the distribution of #apps outside the @AppStore
ongoing @EU_Competition cases e.g. @AppleMusic pic.twitter.com/G2gP51IW8L

-- Margrethe Vestager (@vestager)



According to Vestager, then, the discussion at least centered on the long-standing issue of whether Apple should allow third-party alternatives to the App Store. It's possible that Cook continued Apple's argument that the company runs five comparatively small App Stores instead of one large one, which is what would qualify it for EU regulation.

The meeting also covered Apple Music and the EU's investigation into its alleged antitrust actions. It's not clear what form any discussions could take, though, as the EU has already ruled that Apple Music violates EU antitrust rules.



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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 59
    foregoneconclusionforegoneconclusion Posts: 3,043member
    Vestager: "Billion and trillion dollar software companies deserve special treatment. You're forcing them to adhere to the same rules as the fart app programmer. That just isn't right!"
    AllMiOS_Guy80thtkillroywatto_cobra
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  • Reply 2 of 59
    tech_travellertech_traveller Posts: 46member
    foregoneconclusion said:
    Vestager: "Billion and trillion dollar software companies deserve special treatment. You're forcing them to adhere to the same rules as the fart app programmer. That just isn't right!"
    Generally speaking, billion and trillion dollar companies do get special treatment from Apple.

    Google, Microsoft etc. do get special consideration, if anything comes up wrong with them, only executive level positions have the authority to issue directives.
    muthuk_vanalingamelijahgbyronlctt_zhAlex1NwilliamlondonkillroyStrangeDayswatto_cobra
     8Likes 0Dislikes 1Informative
  • Reply 3 of 59
    nubusnubus Posts: 905member
    Guess the relationship has improved now that her iPhone has USB C :-) Last time was described as "worst meeting ever in Brussels". I do hope Apple can find a way forward between security and multiple stores.
    iOS_Guy80byronlctt_zhAlex1NkillroyBart Y
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  • Reply 4 of 59
    eriamjheriamjh Posts: 1,844member
    I wonder if Apple could force sideloaded apps to exist in a sandbox, locked and isolated from everything else.  

    Granted the user may grant access to Contact, photos, etc, but maybe it would contain nefarious apps.  

     Have no idea how this works.  
    WhiskeyAPPLEciderlordjohnwhorfinjas99byronlAlex1NkillroyBart Ywatto_cobra
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  • Reply 5 of 59
    tech_travellertech_traveller Posts: 46member
    eriamjh said:
    I wonder if Apple could force sideloaded apps to exist in a sandbox, locked and isolated from everything else.  

    Granted the user may grant access to Contact, photos, etc, but maybe it would contain nefarious apps.  

     Have no idea how this works.  
    All apps run in a sandbox even now. Apple could also copy Google's Play protect which periodically scans the phone for malware and viruses so even third party installs are secure.

    Some time ago I tried to side load a pirated movie app on Android and Play Protect warned me that the app had malicious code.
    WhiskeyAPPLEcider9secondkox2h2pbyronlctt_zhdesignrAlex1Nkillroywatto_cobra
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  • Reply 6 of 59
    blastdoorblastdoor Posts: 3,831member
    nubus said:
    Guess the relationship has improved now that her iPhone has USB C :-) Last time was described as "worst meeting ever in Brussels". I do hope Apple can find a way forward between security and multiple stores.
    It works reasonably well on the Mac, but it does add complexity for the user. 

    byronlAllMAlex1Nnubuskillroywatto_cobra
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  • Reply 7 of 59
    mikethemartianmikethemartian Posts: 1,724member
    pulseimages said:
    Who else thought that was a photo of two dudes shaking hands? 
    For a second I thought it was Tim Cook meeting his doppelgänger.
    byronlpulseimageswilliamlondonkillroywatto_cobra
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  • Reply 8 of 59
    avon b7avon b7 Posts: 8,322member
    mikethemartian said:
    pulseimages said:
    Who else thought that was a photo of two dudes shaking hands? 
    For a second I thought it was Tim Cook meeting his doppelgänger.
    Worse! The cunning EU has done a quick switch and she's now running the mothership while Tim has been smuggled out to the EU for a crash course in how to do taxes right!

    We should see an announcement for an upcoming iPhone with a removable battery, running multiple app stores and unrestricted access to NFC, next week. 
    h2pbyronlctt_zhnubusAllMAlex1N
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  • Reply 9 of 59
    22july201322july2013 Posts: 3,839member
    Apple could create a new phone exclusively for the EU called ePhone which uses the same hardware as the iPhone but runs Android instead. Then Europe will have to complain to Google which writes the OS for it.
    AllMMisterKitGabyAlex1NkillroyBart Ywatto_cobra
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  • Reply 10 of 59
    ctt_zhctt_zh Posts: 83member
    22july2013 said:
    Apple could create a new phone exclusively for the EU called ePhone which uses the same hardware as the iPhone but runs Android instead. Then Europe will have to complain to Google which writes the OS for it.
    Who do you seriously think would buy such a phone? 
    muthuk_vanalingamkillroywatto_cobraRespite
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  • Reply 11 of 59
    pulseimagespulseimages Posts: 695member
    kkqd1337 said:
    Who else thought that was a photo of two dudes shaking hands? 
    What a stupid comment

    It IS two dudes shaking hands!
    kkqd1337 said:
    Who else thought that was a photo of two dudes shaking hands? 
    What a stupid comment

    It IS two dudes shaking hands!
    Margrethe Vestager Is a woman, dumb ass! 
    williamlondon9secondkox2watto_cobra
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  • Reply 12 of 59
    danoxdanox Posts: 3,873member
    Who else thought that was a photo of two dudes shaking hands? 
    Margrethe Vestager is married to the same person since 1994 and has three kids you are way off with that cheap shot.
    edited January 2024
    thtAlex1NwilliamlondonRespite
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  • Reply 13 of 59
    thttht Posts: 6,007member
    tech_traveller said:
    eriamjh said:
    I wonder if Apple could force sideloaded apps to exist in a sandbox, locked and isolated from everything else.  

    Granted the user may grant access to Contact, photos, etc, but maybe it would contain nefarious apps.  

     Have no idea how this works.  
    All apps run in a sandbox even now. Apple could also copy Google's Play protect which periodically scans the phone for malware and viruses so even third party installs are secure.

    Some time ago I tried to side load a pirated movie app on Android and Play Protect warned me that the app had malicious code.
    Sigh, it's seems inevitable that 3rd party virus/malware scanning software will be running on iPhones and iPads in the near future. Assuming all these sideloading policies will be pushed through.

    My work provided Mac has TouchID and AirDop disabled, you need special training to be able to install apps, and it has a virus/malware scanner. What a waste. There's going to be a lot of wasted CPU cycles running virus scanning software on iPhones.
    Alex1NkillroyBart Ywatto_cobra
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  • Reply 14 of 59
    jellyapplejellyapple Posts: 116member
    Apple will need to allow third party OS on iPhone. 
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 15 of 59
    9secondkox29secondkox2 Posts: 3,640member
    Apple will need to allow third party OS on iPhone. 
    LOL

    Probably next. 

    Soon Apple will be forced to fallow third party OSs on all platforms, while providing Apple-developed security patches for Android and Windows. Otherwise, how dare Apple offer non-secure software on its devices via third parties. 

    Then, Apple will have to share its allotment of 3nm processors with competitors because it’s “unfair” that Apple bought so many when the others couldn’t “afford to.”
    edited January 2024
    AllMglennhkillroyBart Ywatto_cobra
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  • Reply 16 of 59
    KTRktr Posts: 281member
    I personally think if Steve Jobs was still alive, he would pull out of the EU
    AllMkillroypulseimagesBart Ywatto_cobra9secondkox2
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  • Reply 17 of 59
    KTRktr Posts: 281member
    I think the EU wants to have a back door to spy on people and gain access to apples 2 billion customers
    AllMkillroypulseimagesBart Ywatto_cobra9secondkox2
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  • Reply 18 of 59
    Kierkegaardenkierkegaarden Posts: 244member
    danox said:
    Who else thought that was a photo of two dudes shaking hands? 
    Margrethe Vestager is married to the same person since 1994 and has three kids you are way off with that cheap shot.
    From the angle of the shot and the masculine looking coat, it would be easy to mistake her for a him — what’s the big deal?

    I’m sure what the point of her visit is — other than a power status move to make herself think she is somehow on the same level as the CEOs of the largest tech companies in the world — these companies that innovate, produce, and employ.  What exactly does Vestager do?
    edited January 2024
    AllMpulseimageswatto_cobra9secondkox2
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  • Reply 19 of 59
    glennhglennh Posts: 74member
    As an Apple shareholder, I would demand that any third party App Store, pay upfront their fair share to Apple for all R&D, marketing, IP, transportation, security and other associated yearly expenses and costs that Apple bears in making and maintaining its various devices and associated software products. 
    AllMkillroyBart Ywatto_cobra9secondkox2
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  • Reply 20 of 59
    bulk001bulk001 Posts: 828member
    glennh said:
    As an Apple shareholder, I would demand that any third party App Store, pay upfront their fair share to Apple for all R&D, marketing, IP, transportation, security and other associated yearly expenses and costs that Apple bears in making and maintaining its various devices and associated software products. 
    The walled garden is going away. The iPhone and iPad will move more and more to the Mac model. You are going to have to start learning to deal with it and decide how you want to move forward with your investment. Apple is going to have to start learning to deal with it too. Then have become too dependent on the iPhone and a watch, self driving car, weather app, and VR are not going to move the company forward like the iPhone did. Cook has done a great job generating iterative changes to make money but under his leadership Apple has missed on search, cloud, AI etc. In comparison MS moved into other areas after they lost the phone wars and somehow managed to closed on Friday as the world’s most valuable company, doing it without a phone type device or a map app. 
    9secondkox2muthuk_vanalingam
     1Like 0Dislikes 1Informative
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