[EGreg]

Yes it is anticompetitive. It is using Apple’s monopoly as gatekeeper of their app store.

Apple would have long ago been cited for Antitrust if Android hadn’t had most of the market. I personally think that the definition of a trust is too narrow — one member of an oligopoly abusing its position as a platform provider and strongarming people is also pretty bad.

https://www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2019/6/3/18650861/appl...

[nihonde]

That’s not how antitrust law works. It’s not a test of whether a company exerts too much control over its own customers. It’s a test of whether customers have some alternatives and a real opportunity to vote with their dollars.

[sturgill]

Apple has argued that developers are its customers (in the Pepper lawsuit). What options do developers have? Ignore the iOS market (those most likely to pay money)? There isn't a choice here: you let Apple have 1/3 of all of your revenue and you implement Apple Sign In. Because... competition?...

[Mindwipe]

That's how American anti-trust law works.

It's not entirely how European anti-trust law works.

[EGreg]

Yep, that’s what meant when I said that the definition was too narrow

[nihonde]

Antitrust is among the most mature areas of law, in terms of how these concepts have been thoughtfully wrangled over. I definitely encourage you to dig deep on how market scope is determined, if that’s interesting to you. There are many ways to manipulate a market but very few rise to the level of requiring state or regional government intervention.

[threeseed]

Well exactly.

If Apple was the only provider of smartphones then there would be a case for them to open up their platform to third parties.