#antitrust

ICYMI: Apple fined €150 million: ATT framework ruled anticompetitive: Apple's App Tracking Transparency approach deemed disproportionate and harmful to smaller publishers. https://ppc.land/apple-fined-eu150-million-att-framework-ruled-anticompetitive/ #Apple #AppTrackingTransparency #Privacy #Antitrust #SmallBusinesses

The One Agency Act is a good first step. But it does not go far enough, argues Darren Bush. Let's create the Zero Agency Act and make antitrust enforcement efficient.

#Antitrust #Econtwitter

https://www.thesling.org/the-zero-agency-act/

"Apple has been hit with a fine of €150 million ($162 million) by France's competition watchdog over the implementation of its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) privacy framework.

The Autorité de la concurrence said it's imposing a financial penalty against Apple for abusing its dominant position as a distributor of mobile applications for iOS and iPadOS devices between April 26, 2021 and July 25, 2023.

ATT, introduced by the iPhone maker with iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, and tvOS 14.5, is a framework that requires mobile apps to seek users' explicit consent in order to access their device's unique advertising identifier (i.e., the Identifier for Advertisers or IDFA) and track them across apps and websites for purposes targeted advertising.

"Unless you receive permission from the user to enable tracking, the device's advertising identifier value will be all zeros and you may not track them," Apple notes on its website. "While you can display the AppTrackingTransparency prompt whenever you choose, the device's advertising identifier value will only be returned once you present the prompt and the user grants permission."

App developers, besides requesting for permission to track the users, are also required to state the purpose behind why such tracking is necessary in the first place."

https://thehackernews.com/2025/04/apple-fined-150-million-by-french.html

#EU #France #Apple #Antitrust #AppTrackingTransparency #Privacy #DataProtection #Competition

TikTok, tariffs, and trials: everything happening in tech’s chaotic April https://www.theverge.com/policy/638779/tariffs-tiktok-ban-meta-google-antitrust-trial-april-trump #Regulation #Antitrust #Creators #Politics #Transpo #Google #Policy #TikTok #Cars #Meta #Tech

#Apple receives #antitrust fine in #France for “ask app not to track” framework: After preliminary findings in Germany, #France went a step further in finding that #Apple broke the law. https://www.euractiv.com/section/tech/news/apple-receives-antitrust-fine-in-france-for-ask-app-not-to-track-framework/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=dlvr.it

https://www.europesays.com/1956750/ EU set to fine Apple and Meta amid escalating trade war – POLITICO #antitrust #BigTech #BjörnSeibert #competition #CompetitionRules #Digital #DigitalMarketsAct #DonaldTrump #Enforcement #europe #markets #MarošŠefčovič #regulation #tariffs #TeresaRibera #trade #TradeWar #UnitedStates #UrsulaVonDerLeyen

First was a thought-provoking talk by Pablo Ibáñez Colomo on the prescience of ordoliberalism (aka neo-Brandeisianism) and the challenges to that approach moving forward at the Mannheim Centre for Competition and Innovation (MaCCI) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vN1Y1piJgw0 (2/9) #economics #antitrust

Next was a great talk by Nancy L. Rose on the state of the literature on efficiencies in mergers at MaCCI. I would've liked to hear more on the inherently subjective/political nature of market definition, but it's still a good review https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSm4qEf9VSQ (4/9) #economics #antitrust

"Since the Trump administration moved to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau last month, the bureau has dropped nine lawsuits that it had brought on behalf of consumers.

The actions effectively freed major financial firms like Capital One and the mortgage giant Rocket Homes from the threat of consequences for their alleged significant wrongdoing, shocking consumer advocates and raising questions about the future of America’s consumer watchdog. For their part, when the cases were dropped, the companies lauded the decisions, with a bank spokesperson welcoming the dismissal of the case, “which we strongly disputed,” and Rocket Homes calling the suit an “empty claim.”

But the administration’s new hands-off approach to enforcement at the CFPB extends far beyond those public lawsuits. Behind the scenes, dozens of ongoing investigations into alleged corporate malfeasance are now frozen at the agency, potentially denying accountability and financial relief for untold numbers of consumers, a ProPublica investigation has found.

Under a stop-work order issued by the agency’s new leaders, CFPB investigators have been unable to press forward on probes into companies whose products and services are used by tens of millions of Americans, including Carvana, the online used-car retailer; Mr. Cooper, one of the country’s largest mortgage servicers; and CareCredit, a leader in medical credit cards, according to multiple people with knowledge of the matters."

https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-cfpb-investigation-capital-one-rocket-meta-carvana-greenlight

#USA #Trump #CFPB #ConsumersRights #Antitrust #BigTech

The #DOJ is considering merging the lead agencies enforcing #drug & #gun laws in a major shakeup as it moves to follow #Trump's instructions to sharply *streamline* the govt.

In addition to merging the Drug Enforcement Agency #DEA & Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives #ATF, DOJ leaders are considering eliminating field offices that handle #antitrust & #environmental cases, according to a March 25 memo seen by Reuters.

#law #idiocracy #kakistocracy
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-justice-department-considers-merging-dea-atf-major-wave-cuts-memo-shows-2025-03-27

The EU is preparing to fine Meta up to $1 billion for violating the Digital Markets Act with its ‘pay or consent’ model for Facebook/Instagram

#Meta #Facebook #Instagram #DigitalMarketsAct #BigTech #Antitrust #DataPrivacy #EURegulation #AdTech #Europe

https://winbuzzer.com/2025/03/25/meta-faces-1-billion-eu-fine-over-pay-or-consent-model-xcxwbn/

“Lina Khan calls Trump’s FTC firings ‘blatantly illegal,’ highlighting the dangerous influence of billionaires like Trump and Musk. This rampage of corporate power undermines regulatory bodies and the public interest. #Antitrust www.youtube.com/watch?v=978V...

Lina Khan: Trump’s FTC firings...

Electronic Frontier Foundation: How Do You Solve a Problem Like Google Search? Courts Must Enable Competition While Protecting Privacy.. “Antitrust enforcers have proposed a set of complementary remedies, from giving users a choice of search engine, to forcing Google to spin off Chrome and possibly Android into separate companies. Overall, this is the right approach. Google’s dominance in […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/03/22/electronic-frontier-foundation-how-do-you-solve-a-problem-like-google-search-courts-must-enable-competition-while-protecting-privacy/

"The European Commission is not backing down from efforts to rein in Big Tech. In a series of press releases today, the European Union's executive arm has announced actions against both Apple and Google. Regulators have announced that Apple will be required to open up support for non-Apple accessories on the iPhone, but it may be too late for Google to make changes. The commission says the search giant has violated the Digital Markets Act, which could lead to a hefty fine.

Since returning to power, Donald Trump has railed against European regulations that target US tech firms. In spite of rising tensions and tough talk, the European Commission seems unfazed and is continuing to follow its more stringent laws, like the Digital Markets Act (DMA). This landmark piece of EU legislation aims to make the digital economy more fair. Upon coming into force last year, the act labeled certain large tech companies, including Apple and Google, as "gatekeepers" that are subject to additional scrutiny.

Europe's more aggressive regulation of Big Tech is why iPhone users on the continent can install apps from third-party app markets while the rest of us are stuck with the Apple App Store."

https://arstechnica.com/apple/2025/03/eu-accuses-google-and-apple-of-stifling-competition-under-digital-markets-act/

#EU #Apple #iPhone #Google #Android #AppStore #Chrome #Antitrust #DMA #BigTech #Interoperability #Competition

#legal #Google #EU #antitrust #DMA

'The EU announced in its preliminary ruling today that Google’s parent company, Alphabet, had also violated anti-steering rules under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) by preventing app developers on its Play Store from steering customers to other distribution channels.'

https://www.theverge.com/news/618168/google-search-eu-dma-charge-violation

The Verge: Google Search charged with breaking EU antitrust rules. “Google is breaking European antitrust laws by favoring its own Shopping, Hotels, and Flights search services over rival comparison providers, according to the European Commission. The EU announced in its preliminary ruling today that Google’s parent company, Alphabet, had also violated anti-steering rules under the Digital […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/03/20/the-verge-google-search-charged-with-breaking-eu-antitrust-rules/

@Tengrain
For arguably the first time in history, the #POTUS under orange turd #tRump has degenerated into a global & legally powerful #ThugForHire, which has seemingly been bought and overtly used by tyrannical political leaders (viz., #Putin, #Netanyahu, etc) plus #antitrust-busting #billionaires & corporates (viz., #Musk, #Bezos, cryptocurrency, oil & gas, social media, etc).
In #tRump2.0 this felon doesn't even have to care about re-election anymore. It's #NoHoldsBarredLeadership

Airbnb’s love and hate relationship with EU’s digital #antitrust rules: Airbnb supported letters that claimed the US Congress 'should not support' the #DMA, while at the same time commending the Commission's role as the DMA enforcer. https://www.euractiv.com/section/tech/news/airbnbs-love-and-hate-relationship-with-eus-digital-antitrust-rules/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=dlvr.it