US Department of Justice files broad antitrust suit against Apple

[Endymio]

They aren't going after Apple for "having a monopoly" but instead are investigating Apple for specific policies and actions that are all highlighted in this article.

The specific legal term here is "refusal to deal". Apple refuses to deal with it's own competitors, just as you are unlikely to find Walmart products on the shelves at Target. As Cornel Law Review states:

"According to a longstanding declaration of antitrust law, any firm-even one with monopoly power-may deal with whomever, and on such terms as, it chooses...."

https://scholarship.law.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2890&context=clr

CLR continues to state that many exceptions to this exist -- however, those exceptions are exceedingly ill-defined.

The point often lost here is that antitrust law does not exist to protect competitors, but rather consumers. Will Apple's customers be happier after this DOJ action than they were before? It seems very, very, doubtful indeed.

 

[HardReset]

There's another reason. There are those of us who want the platform to remain as secure as it possibly can be.

Apple security = including backdoors on CPU: https://securelist.com/operation-triangulation-the-last-hardware-mystery/111669/

Yes, that is not flaw like Spectre or Meltdown, that is backdoor.

 

[m4a4]

The point often lost here is that antitrust law does not exist to protect competitors, but rather consumers. Will Apple's customers be happier after this DOJ action than they were before? It seems very, very, doubtful indeed.

It's only doubtful to ignorant customers that buy into Apple's propaganda. NOTHING changes for those that want to stay in their walled garden. Apple will just have to also compete on it's own merits, not on anti-competitive policies.

But for a lot of customers (especially including developers), this has plenty of short and long-term gains.
For starters, I can't wait to make a test app build where I don't have to have Apple waste my time reviewing it, and waste my team's time with obtuse delivery options.

Edit: Apparently calling out Apple fanatics means shadow deletions (calling them ignorant might hurt their/the mod's feelings too much?). I'm glad I'm not paying for Techspot ATM.

 

[Endymio]

It's only doubtful to ignorant customers that buy into Apple's propaganda.

It's very illuminating that it isn't Apple's own consumers who claiming they're being exploited, and action is necessary -- it's the anti-Apple zealots who never purchase these products anyway.

But for a lot of customers (especially including developers), this has plenty of short and long-term gains.

Not for customers -- for developers. In any case, there are no "short term" gains, as the DOJ has yet to win this case. And given how much of a stretch it is, it's doubtful they win anything but a partial decision, if that.

For starters, I can't wait to make a test app build where I don't have to have Apple waste my time reviewing it.

Aha...one of those developers looking to profit off this government action, eh?

 

[trparky]

For starters, I can't wait to make a test app build where I don't have to have Apple waste my time reviewing it, and waste my team's time with obtuse delivery options.

So we can have a situation like the Google Play Store where viruses have been found? No thank you!