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by imgabe 2051 days ago
If I run my own ecommerce shop on AWS, Amazon should just be able to shut it down and force me to sell through Amazon instead?

If I run a service on an EC2 instance that uses Auth.0, they can shut it off until I agree to use Cognito?
2 comments
ChrisLomont 2051 days ago
Sure, if their terms of service allow it.

Conversely, should every user of a platform get to dictate terms? No.

In both cases you and a provider enter into a mutually agreeable relation under some terms of service. And you both can terminate that relationship up to terms of service.

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imgabe 2051 days ago
No, actually, I don't think Terms of Service get to override antitrust laws. We recognize there's a value in having a diverse set of options that compete with each other when it comes to business.

We also recognize there's a value in having a diverse set of opinions presented so people can decide on them based on their merits and the best ones can rise to the top. This does mean that sometimes bad opinions are presented, just like sometimes companies that turn out to be bad ideas get started. The solution is not place all authority in the hands of some central dictator who picks the winners and losers beforehand. There is no person or organization capable of reliably filling that role.

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Groxx 2051 days ago
>I don't think Terms of Service get to override antitrust laws.

I suspect most people agree on this fwiw. But it'd only apply when antitrust laws are invoked successfully - the vast majority of companies and situations do not fall into that category, as viable alternatives exist. E.g. Amazon is most certainly not the only / impossibly-dominant storefront or CDN.

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Groxx 2051 days ago
... yes? Amazon has no obligation to do business with you.
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imgabe 2051 days ago
Just like Microsoft had no obligation to allow Netscape browsers on their operating system?
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Groxx 2051 days ago
Yes. And they prevent many kinds of programs on their operating system, e.g. anything trying to access DRM material.

The same goes for OSX and iOS and Android. There are lots of things that can't be run. They're under no obligation to allow them, however much we might want them to.

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