Hans-Christoph Steiner @eighthave@librem.one

#GooglePlay's competition is more than just businesses. Free software communities, governments, non-profits, and institutions are already making #Android app stores.

#DMA #DigitalMarketsAct #FreeSoftware #OpenSource

The #EuropeanCommission is having workshops to get feedback about making companies that have been designated #gatekeepers comply with the #DigitalMarketsAct. You can register to attend in person or online:

* #Alphabet / #Google https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/events-poolpage/alphabet-dma-compliance-workshop-2024-03-21

* #Apple https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/events-poolpage/apple-dma-compliance-workshop-2024-03-18

* all https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/events

We need more voices for #FreeSoftware and #Privacy present to counterbalance #BigTech and #SurveillanceCapitalism!

The #DigitalMarketsAct and other #competition actions against #gatekeeper app stores are based on the idea that an app store companies should not "self-preference" their own apps or services. This makes sense to a certain degree, especially when thinking about business. Ethical reasons must also be considered. #FDroid preferences apps based on #FreeSoftware and Anti-Features, which we as a community define. We should always be allowed to preference apps that follow standards of #UserFreedom.

#Apple and #Google are also acting as #gatekeepers when it comes to medical, health and wellness software. #SurveillanceCapitalism and #monopoly control do not belong in health care.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-023-00754-6

#DMA #digitalmarketsact #gatekeeper

I got the opportunity to go to #FOSDEM and of course I had my #FDroid "hat" on. I wrote up some quick impressions of my trip, including what I learned about the #EU's #DigitalMarketsAct #CyberResilienceAct and #ProductLiabilityDirective

There really are a lot of important projects represented there:
https://f-droid.org/2024/02/06/at-fosdem.html

It seems like the #EU #DigitalMarketsAct is already having an effect on #GooglePlay: now that they might actually have some real competition, they seem to be ramping up efforts to clean up their app store:

https://techcrunch.com/2023/11/09/google-play-tightens-up-rules-for-android-app-developers-to-require-testing-increased-app-review/

This is a really good sign for the #EU #DigitalMarketsAct: #Google is leveraging it to get #Apple to adopt #RCS in #iMessage:

https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/8/23951935/google-european-telcos-apple-imessage-digital-markets-act-core-platform-service-gatekeeper-lobbying

I think it is impossible to regulate #BigTech or #gatekeepers with the current structure of #AntiTrust because it is all about pricing as if software was a commodity. Until #competition #policy takes into account #UserFreedom, it will be an extremely limited tool for dealing with problematic software companies. This is laid bare in this current case against #Google https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/08/google-escapes-play-store-class-action-after-finding-more-persuasive-expert/

The most promise is in #EU #DigitalMarketsAct. #FTC's & #UK's policy overhaul shows promise.
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