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

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
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in General Discussion

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 74
    AllMAllM Posts: 65member
    I don’t get it. Why won’t Vestager mention any kind of obligation for developers to also publish on Apple’s App Store? Otherwise, this would be a massive intrusion into my private life as a customer. Suppose Adobe or whatnot decided they’d distribute their software through their own ‘store’ only. That would effectively force their customers to use that ‘store’ with possibly zero quality control assured. 


    edited January 12 pulseimageslordjohnwhorfin9secondkox2byronlAlex1NwilliamlondonkillroyBart Ywatto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 74
    foregoneconclusionforegoneconclusion Posts: 2,689member
    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
  • Reply 3 of 74
    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
  • Reply 4 of 74
    nubusnubus Posts: 387member
    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
  • Reply 5 of 74
    eriamjheriamjh Posts: 1,647member
    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
  • Reply 6 of 74
    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
  • Reply 7 of 74
    blastdoorblastdoor Posts: 3,308member
    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
  • Reply 8 of 74
    mikethemartianmikethemartian Posts: 1,328member
    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
  • Reply 9 of 74
    avon b7avon b7 Posts: 7,703member
    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
  • Reply 10 of 74
    22july201322july2013 Posts: 3,573member
    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
  • Reply 11 of 74
    ctt_zhctt_zh Posts: 67member
    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
  • Reply 12 of 74
    pulseimagespulseimages Posts: 604member
    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
  • Reply 13 of 74
    danoxdanox Posts: 2,875member
    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 12 thtAlex1NwilliamlondonRespite
  • Reply 14 of 74
    AllMAllM Posts: 65member
    ctt_zh said:
    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? 

    Margarethe Vestager. 

    Gaby9secondkox2killroywatto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 74
    thttht Posts: 5,452member
    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
  • Reply 16 of 74
    AllMAllM Posts: 65member
    designr said:
    AllM said:
    I don’t get it. Why won’t Vestager mention any kind of obligation for developers to also publish on Apple’s App Store? Otherwise, this would be a massive intrusion into my private life as a customer. Suppose Adobe or whatnot decided they’d distribute their software through their own ‘store’ only. That would effectively force their customers to use that ‘store’ with possibly zero quality control assured. 


    In the model you're describing, what happens if a company publishes through their own store and—per your suggested mandate—attempts to also publish through the Apple App Store, but Apple rejects the app? Is the company still allowed to sell/distribute through the non-Apple store?

    Sure. Why shouldn’t they be? Been like that on the Mac for ages. 
    Alex1Nblastdoorkillroymuthuk_vanalingamRespite
  • Reply 17 of 74
    jellyapplejellyapple Posts: 82member
    Apple will need to allow third party OS on iPhone. 
  • Reply 18 of 74
    9secondkox29secondkox2 Posts: 2,729member
    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 13 AllMglennhkillroyBart Ywatto_cobra
  • Reply 19 of 74
    KTRKTR Posts: 280member
    I personally think if Steve Jobs was still alive, he would pull out of the EU
    AllMkillroypulseimagesBart Ywatto_cobra9secondkox2
  • Reply 20 of 74
    KTRKTR Posts: 280member
    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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