I'm asking around, curious about your opinions.

EU continues pioneering new digital legislation called DMA, which is aimed at big guys in tech to open up their platforms for more choice.

Do you think it can become successful, or blatant?

-h1

... Xerox Alto was the thing. Anything after we use is just a mere copy.

RE: DMA in EUrope
BY: hollowone to All on Wed Mar 20 2024 05:35:00

OTE: DCTEdit v0.04 [4]

EU continues pioneering new digital legislation called DMA, which is aimed big guys in tech to open up their platforms for more choice.

Do you think it can become successful, or blatant?

It could go either way, IMO. On the one hand, it might help avoid monopolies from forming or expanding further - but on the other hand, it might stifle privacy innovation: If you come up with a major new privacy feature (cryptography or whatnot), and you cannot release it because it would break integrations with other software, it would potentially be .. problematic?

In general, the privacy and consumer protection laws in the EU are very good and getting better. That's not to say they don't have their share of problems, or that there aren't holes and backdoors.

For now, I'll sit back and watch. It won't affect most of the messaging platforms I use anyway, and I'm pretty sure our BBSes will go under the radar :)

- Eirik

- Ltning
- bbs.anduin.net

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Re: DMA in EUrope
By: hollowone to All on Wed Mar 20 2024 05:35 am

EU continues pioneering new digital legislation called DMA, which is aimed at big guys in tech to open up their platforms for more choice.

It sounds like a good idea, but the biggest issue I've seen are app stores - owning a proprietary app store and charging admission for 3rd party apps, as well as forcing all recurring revenue to go through the store is monopoly power - and we have laws against that kind of thing.
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Re: DMA in EUrope
By: poindexter FORTRAN to hollowone on Wed Mar 20 2024 04:24 pm

It sounds like a good idea, but the biggest issue I've seen are app stores - owning a proprietary app store and charging admission for 3rd party apps, as well as forcing all recurring revenue to go through the store is monopoly power - and we have laws against that kind of thing.

Yeah, sometimes I'm a little surprised at what companies get away with despite there being laws. Though, thinking of mobile devices, there are both Android and Apple devices in the market, so technically I'm not sure if they'd be seen as monopolies. It feels like app stores are where things are trending though, as Microsoft also has their store app for Windows now. I've seen some people say they prefer getting their software from those stores, as they feel like they're generally safer than downloading software from any external site (though I like not being restricted to only installing software available from an app store).

Nightfox

EU continues pioneering new digital legislation called DMA, which is at big guys in tech to open up their platforms for more choice.

It sounds like a good idea, but the biggest issue I've seen are app
stores - owning a proprietary app store and charging admission for 3rd party apps, as well as forcing all recurring revenue to go through the store is monopoly power - and we have laws against that kind of thing.
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App stores are OK as long as platform is not closed and for sure not good if it's only open on one (own) distribution for apps.

I was willing to accept that business model in gaming consoles, under a condition that super powerful computer inside costs cheaply and they catch up with fees from distribution when hardware sales hits certain volume. Additionally if a console's lifecycle is 7-15 years... then it's absolutely OK to consider buying into closed platforms..

But phones and other mobile devices don't fit into this category and should be more open like computers as I'd idealize. I'd like to select app stores and distribution methods.. I'd like to side load my own apps without app store if I want... without jail-breaking.

I personally consider DMA as small step to achieve more options and regain controls over quite expensive devices that it seems we have little control over today.

-h1

... Xerox Alto was the thing. Anything after we use is just a mere copy.

(though I like not
being restricted to only installing software available from an app
store).

Exactly this. If I had the feeling that I can install everything from anywhere, under my own responsibility of course than locking platforms through single app stores wouldn't be a problem.

I also think that the monopolistic definition here is not about there are alternative complete platforms (device + os + distribution) but narrowed only that if I select your device (APPLE) then I cannot freely choose where I buy apps and services from and I can't negotiate fees). That's still monopole... in the app distribution field on a single platform.

-h1

... Xerox Alto was the thing. Anything after we use is just a mere copy.

Re: Re: DMA in EUrope
By: hollowone to Nightfox on Thu Mar 21 2024 04:35 am

I also think that the monopolistic definition here is not about there are alternative complete platforms (device + os + distribution) but narrowed only that if I select your device (APPLE) then I cannot freely choose where I buy apps and services from and I can't negotiate fees). That's still monopole... in the app distribution field on a single platform.

That's a good point.

Nightfox