[jjani]

A point we're still lightyears away from. The lengths they go to in order to operate in China are magnitudes greater than to operate in the EU, yet EU makes them $10+ billion more profit than China.

What would actually happen is that the US would start seriously threatening (blackmailing) the EU to a degree where it's forced to relent long before Apple would pull out.

Apple's estimated operating profit from the EU is around $40 billion dollars. If the US government wouldn't get involved, they could force Tim Apple himself to live on top of the Alps and he'd happily do it rather than lose that $40 billion, or shareholders would vote him out ASAP.

[BlueTemplar]

Why are you assuming that not only this kind of blackmail is even going to work, but that the EU isn't just going to kick out ALL of US infocoms instead ? (Because of this or because of other issues related to Trump or even Bush (Patriot Act).)

[redeeman]

rofl, people would never accept not having their locked down iphones or facebook.

this would be a very losing battle for politicians

[ghusto]

You don't have a good feel for the anti-American-corporation sentiment here.

Politicians in fact pay lip-service to "data sovereignty", for the points it gets them.

[redeeman]

yeah, true, because then people think the government is solving it for them without them doing ANYTHING. Take their facebook/whatsapp away, and you'll see consequences. hell, we have several people on HN that claims its simply not possible with live without whatsapp. Take their whatsapp away and they may aswell go lie down in a ditch and die.