I think it’s really easy to claim anti-trust violations actually.
Apple already owns the customer because they’ve invested in the platform, but they’re not providing equitable access to software that other platforms are. This isn’t revealed to the customer though, so it’s not clear as a user that choice is being restricted in this way.
A lot of Apple’s practices have been legal up until now due to their minority market share in all markets they operate in - but what we see those markets as is changing. The App Store is a massive multi-billion dollar industry in itself that Apple holds and exploits 100% control over.
Whether or not a violation has or is occurring is for lawmakers to decide based on whether or not the App Store (or Google Play for that matter) constitute markets within the definitions provided by local laws.
Apple already owns the customer because they’ve invested in the platform, but they’re not providing equitable access to software that other platforms are. This isn’t revealed to the customer though, so it’s not clear as a user that choice is being restricted in this way.
A lot of Apple’s practices have been legal up until now due to their minority market share in all markets they operate in - but what we see those markets as is changing. The App Store is a massive multi-billion dollar industry in itself that Apple holds and exploits 100% control over.
Whether or not a violation has or is occurring is for lawmakers to decide based on whether or not the App Store (or Google Play for that matter) constitute markets within the definitions provided by local laws.