In late June Microsoft declared war on Apple by introducing a new App Store Model coming to Windows 11 that offers larger companies zero commission while promising security. With that now in place, Europe’s tech chief Margrethe Vestager has openly warned Apple against using privacy and security concerns to fend off competition on its App Store, reasons CEO Tim Cook gave for not allowing users to install software from outside the Store.
Vestager, who is also the European Commission’s executive vice president, last year proposed rules called the Digital Markets Act (DMA) that would force Apple to open up its lucrative App Store so that users can download apps from the internet or third-party app stores in a practice known as side-loading.
Cook, speaking at an event last month, said the proposal would destroy the security and privacy of iPhones.
While Vestager said she shared Apple’s CEO position on security concerns and privacy she stated yesterday that “The important thing here is, of course, that it’s not a shield against competition, because I think customers will not give up neither security nor privacy if they use another app store or if they sideload.” Microsoft’s recent App Store announcements could be heard buried in that statement.
Lastly, Vestager indicated that she was still open to changes in her proposal, which needs input from EU countries and EU lawmakers before it can become law. “I think that it is possible to find solutions to this,” she said. For more read the full report on Yahoo! Finance.
Of course that was a disingenuous statement from Vestager knowing full well that Spain and France are already investigating and suing Apple over the App Store. EU countries are not looking for a compromise with Apple, they simply want the EU Commission to give them the green light to sue Apple. Vestager is also emboldened by her left-wing counterpart Klobuchar in Washington who is confident that their multiple antitrust proposals will reign in Apple, Google, Facebook and Amazon.
While Apple’s lobbying efforts may make a tiny dent in the final wording of U.S. antitrust legislation that will soon be voted on, Europe is bent on damaging Apple so as to promote European tech companies. France’s President Emmanuel Macron recently stated that his goal is to promote 10 large tech companies in Europe to rival U.S. companies.
The EU is bent on killing U.S. domination in technology and Margrethe Vestager is the leader that will see this through.
