Apple’s grudging accommodation of European law – allowing third-party browser engines on its mobile devices – apparently comes with a restriction that makes it difficult to develop and support third-party browser engines for the region.
The Register has learned from those involved in the browser trade that Apple has limited the development and testing of third-party browser engines to devices physically located in the EU. That requirement adds an additional barrier to anyone planning to develop and support a browser with an alternative engine in the EU.
↫ Thomas Claburn at The Register
If any normal person like you and I showed the same kind of blatant disregard for the law and authorities like Apple does in the EU, we’d be ruined by fines and possibly end up in jail. My only hope is that the European Commission goes through with its threats of massive fines of up to 10 or even 20 percent of worldwide turnover.
Apple are acting like a mafia boss, trying to use coercive force at every angle to deprive consumers of a right to install competing browses, app stores, etc. I certainly hope the EU throws the book at apple, but it’s not realistic for the rest of us outside of the EU to expect the EU to be able to fight our battles or protect our rights. This is something we need to confront apple on back home…therein lies the problem though. Our governments are corrupt and even though our prominent tech giants have been committing blatant antitrust abuses for quite some time, they pretty much have politicians eating out of their hands. US politicians aren’t too keen on going after US companies, unfortunately 🙁
How do they check your location? It must be spoofable somehow. And developers of browsers would be fairly savvy in doing this is my humble guess.
NaGERST,
Apple’s goal is to do just enough to avoid fines while simultaneously putting up as many barriers as possible. Blocking international software developers from supporting EU users outside of apple’s walled garden is one way to pull the rug out from under the EU’s ruling.
Obviously it is spoof-able and I seem to recall someone having done it already. Blocking radios/gps/IP tracking/redirecting phone home packets/etc are all steps one might have to take, but you’re not going to have a very usable device anymore.
Somehow, I’m not surprised even in the slightest.
The article is not exactly correct as based on an article from a while back you can establish an EU zone in a basement in Australia. But all in all this one for sure is a hard pill to swallow, for Apple.
Wasn’t part of the requirements for that to have the flight mode on, set your router to some EU-specific Wifi mode, and go to the basement so that the phone can’t even get an emergency cellular signal?
j0scher,
As I recall that’s what he did, but he didn’t confirm precisely which steps were were necessary. I’m sure someone’s going to document it properly eventually. Even then though the point is to make it enough of a hassle that normal users will not use it and developers won’t bother.
I hope the EU will issue a fine for apple’s refusal to provide users with full control over their software/app stores/browsers/etc within the EU. They break the law they deserve the fines. But apple’s made it clear they intend to exploit our lack of rights on our own devices in the rest of the world. Until our governments step up to do something about anti-competitive abuse, we should expect these region locks to continue to deprive users of choice and control.
Exactly that one yes.