As major tech companies have gotten increasingly wealthy over the decades, a lot of emphasis has been placed on the disproportionate level of power that they have at their disposal. For example, Apple is a trillion dollar company, and some say that it exercises far too much control over the apps that its users can download since they are only allowed to use apps that are available on the App Store which is owned by Apple itself.
The main issue here is that Apple is essentially creating an unassailable revenue stream that many are calling anti-competitive. US lawmakers are trying to implement antitrust legislation in order to make Apple and Google, as well as other companies at that level, less likely to create monopolies down the line and ensure that the spirit of competition can endure. Google has also come under similar criticism for its anti-competitive Play Store for similar reasons that can be noted.
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that both Apple as well as Google are criticizing these efforts, claiming that they may end up compromising user security. Apple may be forced to allow side loading and third party app stores, and the tech giant is claiming that this could put users in jeopardy by making it easier for their devices to get infected by various forms of malware.
Google is making similar claims, asserting that these measures will create unnecessary red tape that would make it difficult for them to make updates and patches for their services. They are also claiming that this will give foreign companies leverage over them since they’d have an easier time operating. However, suffice it to say that both of these companies profit tremendously from their anti-competitive practices, so their reasons for being against this legislation might not be as innocent as they claim.
H/T: CNBC / Google.
Read next: Google to More Strongly Enforce Child Ads Policy After Researchers Scrutiny
The main issue here is that Apple is essentially creating an unassailable revenue stream that many are calling anti-competitive. US lawmakers are trying to implement antitrust legislation in order to make Apple and Google, as well as other companies at that level, less likely to create monopolies down the line and ensure that the spirit of competition can endure. Google has also come under similar criticism for its anti-competitive Play Store for similar reasons that can be noted.
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that both Apple as well as Google are criticizing these efforts, claiming that they may end up compromising user security. Apple may be forced to allow side loading and third party app stores, and the tech giant is claiming that this could put users in jeopardy by making it easier for their devices to get infected by various forms of malware.
Google is making similar claims, asserting that these measures will create unnecessary red tape that would make it difficult for them to make updates and patches for their services. They are also claiming that this will give foreign companies leverage over them since they’d have an easier time operating. However, suffice it to say that both of these companies profit tremendously from their anti-competitive practices, so their reasons for being against this legislation might not be as innocent as they claim.
H/T: CNBC / Google.
Read next: Google to More Strongly Enforce Child Ads Policy After Researchers Scrutiny