Apple interoperability efforts under EU law falls short, advocacy groups argue
Apple, EU Regulation, and “Malicious Compliance”
- Several commenters expect Apple to obey only the bare legal minimum, not the “spirit” of EU interoperability rules.
- Others counter that law is binary: either Apple complies or not; if the spirit isn’t enforced, that’s a legislative problem, not Apple’s.
- Some argue EU still under-regulates Big Tech; others worry that forcing openness undermines privacy and security.
Walled Gardens, Duopoly, and Consumer Choice
- Strong sentiment that Apple’s tightly controlled ecosystem is effectively a monopoly and harms the broader economy.
- Counterpoint: if customers prefer a walled garden and alternatives exist, regulators shouldn’t interfere.
- Critics reply that Android is converging toward a similar garden and that “just use Android/iOS” is a false choice in a de facto duopoly.
- Niche Android-without-Google vendors (e.g., in Europe) are mentioned but questioned as non-viable at scale.
GDPR, Cookie Banners, and Dark Patterns
- Long subthread on EU privacy rules: many complain about ubiquitous, complex cookie popups that make rejecting tracking hard.
- Others insist the popups are not required by law; they result from companies pushing tracking and using dark patterns.
- Some note enforcement actions and fines against “reject-harder-than-accept” flows, but argue enforcement is weak and slow.
- Debate over whether constant consent prompts “educate users” or simply exhaust them into submission.
- Disagreement on GDPR’s territorial scope; some see it as overreaching and unclear, others cite official guidance limiting jurisdiction to targeted EU users.
Responsibility and Policy Design
- One side blames legislators for predictable bad UX outcomes and not mandating browser-level signals.
- Others blame data-hungry companies: if they didn’t insist on tracking, no banners would be needed.
- Advocacy groups (like those filing GDPR complaints and class-like actions) are seen by some as the main effective enforcers.
Microsoft, Linux, and Comparative Regulation
- Some wish the EU targeted Microsoft as hard as Apple, to normalize Linux-preinstalled machines in retail.
- Others respond that Windows already allows third-party apps/stores and isn’t a walled garden; Microsoft is now probed mainly for cloud/Office bundling.
- Debate over why Linux laptops are rare in stores: low demand vs lingering OEM–Microsoft incentives.
- ChromeOS and Linux market share trends are discussed, with disagreement over whether they signal a meaningful shift away from Windows.