Microsoft faces new EU antitrust charges over Teams

Microsoft faces new EU antitrust charges over Teams app

The European Commission has accused Microsoft of illegally tying its chat and video app Teams with its popular Office package.

The recent antitrust complaint made by rival Slack (now owned by Salesforce) might result in a hefty fine for Microsoft if it is found guilty of these alleged antitrust breaches. The company faces a fine of 10% of its annual worldwide turnover.

The European Commission, the EU's competition watchdog, stated that Teams had been given an 'unfair...

26 June 2024 | Developer

Encryption under fire: Signal and rights groups oppose EU law

In a strongly worded statement, Meredith Whittaker, President of Signal, has called out the EU’s latest attempts to weaken end-to-end encryption under the guise of new terminology.

Her comments come in response to ongoing discussions surrounding the EU's chat control legislation, which has seen some European countries pushing for measures that could potentially compromise user privacy.

Whittaker's concerns are echoed by a joint statement issued in May by several...

20 June 2024 | Hacking & Security

Apple is killing web apps in the EU

Apple is ending support for progressive web apps (PWAs) for iPhone users within the EU, stirring concern among developers and users alike. This decision comes as a definitive blow to the accessibility and functionality of web-based applications on Apple devices.

The move to discontinue web app support has been apparent in each iteration of the iOS 17.4 beta, with users experiencing persistent issues. However, Apple has now clarified that this is deliberate.

In an update...

16 February 2024 | iOS

Developers can seek guidance from Apple on EU App Store changes

Apple has announced that it will allow developers to request consultations to discuss upcoming changes to the iOS App Store in compliance with the European Union's new Digital Markets Act (DMA).

The DMA, for a quick primer, is a sweeping set of antitrust regulations aimed at reining in the market power of Big Tech giants like Apple. 

The consultations offered by Apple – which can be either online video meetings or in-person sessions at an Apple lab in Cork,...

2 February 2024 | App Stores

Sony accused of ‘blatant anti-competitive conduct’

Congress has raised concerns about Sony's monopoly on the gaming market in Japan, calling for an investigation into the firm's alleged "exclusionary conduct."

Senator Maria Cantwell told a Senate Finance Committee hearing: “Sony controls a monopoly of 98 percent of the high-end game market, yet Japan's government has allowed Sony to engage in blatant anti-competitive conduct through exclusive deals and payments to game publishers.”

Cantwell called on US Trade...

28 March 2023 | Gaming

Microsoft intends to launch a mobile app store

Microsoft is planning to launch a mobile app store that will compete against the App Store and Play Store.

According to Microsoft’s Xbox head Phil Spencer, Microsoft will take advantage of an upcoming EU law that will break up the monopoly held by the two major smartphone platform holders.

"We want to be in a position to offer Xbox and content from both us and our third-party partners across any screen where somebody would want to play," Spencer told the...

21 March 2023 | Android

Apple letter urges lawmakers to reject sideloading bill

Apple has written a letter urging lawmakers to reject a bill that would force the company to allow any apps to be installed on its mobile operating systems.

The letter, addressed to Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin and Republican Chuck Grassley, claims the proposed bill will hurt user privacy and security if passed.

In question is the S. 2710 bill that would allow software downloaded from the web or other sources to be “sideloaded” on iOS.

“Sideloading...

4 February 2022 | App Stores

CAF report highlights developers’ plight from anti-competitive practices

A report from the Coalition for App Fairness (CAF) highlights the difficulties that developers face due to anti-competitive practices.

CAF is an independent nonprofit with over 60 member companies that advocates for freedom of choice and fair competition across the app ecosystem. Epic Games, which has regularly made headlines for its court battles against Apple over alleged anti-competitive practices, is one of CAF’s founding members.

The industry group is currently...

1 February 2022 | Android

GitHub is restored in Iran after US gov permits sanctions exemption

GitHub is fully-restored in Iran after the US government granted the Microsoft-owned firm an exception to sanctions.

“All developers should be free to use GitHub, no matter where they live,” wrote GitHub in a blog post.

“At the same time, GitHub respects and abides by US law, which means government sanctions have limited our ability to provide developers in some countries the full range of GitHub services.”

GitHub ceased most operations in North Korea,...

8 January 2021 | Git

Apple stops updating games without a government license in China

Apple has suspended game updates in China from developers without a license from the government.

The policy, draconian as it is, has been in place for some time – but rarely enforced.

Apple has faced increasing pressure from Beijing in recent weeks to start enforcing the rule that developers must show proof of a license issued by the government.

Google’s Play Store is not available (officially) in China, meaning Android users in the country typically use...

2 July 2020 | App Stores