Competition authority Antitrust Office targets Apple

As of: June 21, 2021 2:46 p.m.

The Federal Cartel Office is now also investigating Apple. Above all, the US group’s business conduct in the App Store wants to investigate. Similar proceedings are in progress against other large tech companies. The Federal Cartel Office initiates investigations against the technology group Apple. The authority wants to find out whether the US group with parts of its business a “cross-market importance” has in competition. Cartel Office President Andreas Mundt said: “We will now examine whether Apple has built a digital ecosystem across several markets around the iPhone with the proprietary iOS operating system.” After all, the US group also produces tablets, computers, headphones and watches and sells them at the same time “a range of device-related services and services”. The Group’s Services division includes the App Store, iCloud, technical support at AppleCare, the Apple Music music service, the range of games in front of Apple Arcade, the Apple TV + streaming service and other services.

EU sees unfair competition

During its investigation, the Cartel Office will also examine Apple’s technical and financial resources as well as access to data, according to Mundt. One focus of the investigation will be on the operation of the app store, as this enables the group in many cases to influence the business activities of third parties.

Apple’s app store system is already being investigated by the EU Commission, which accuses the group of unfair competition with other providers of music streaming services. Among other things, it is controversial that 15 to 30 percent of the digital revenues in the App Store go to Apple. “We look forward to discussing our approach with the Federal Cartel Office and engaging in an open dialogue about any concerns”it said in a response from Apple. The group is “proud to be an engine for innovation and jobs”. The iOS platform alone supports more than 250,000 workplaces in Germany.

Cartel office can intervene earlier

The background to the investigation is a reform of the Act against Restraints of Competition (GWB) in January. A central component is the modernization of abuse control. The supervisory authorities can now intervene earlier in the event of suspected violations by large digital corporations and prohibit anti-competitive practices.

This also makes it easier for the Cartel Office to take action against large digital companies that are important to competition across borders between different market areas. This has already had consequences: the last time the Bonn authority was against the online network Facebook and in May against the mail order company Amazon and against the internet company Google Investigation started.

According to the cartel office, an expansion of the investigation against Apple is imminent. The authority intends to “to take a closer look at Apple’s specific behavior in a possible further procedure”. The Office has received various complaints against potentially anti-competitive practices

While most Apple users are focused on the newly announced iOS 15, young developer Zane Kleinberg has reworked iOS 4 – which Apple released in 2010 with the iPhone 3G – from the ground up as a standalone app. He calls it OldOS and you can try it out now. “What I created with OldOS is iOS 4 beautifully rebuilt in SwiftUI,” developer told Cult of Mac. “In essence, an app is something like an emulator or perhaps, a second operating system inside an app on your phone. It’s really designed to be a near-working, near-pixel-perfect re-creation of iOS 4.” The fourth version of Apple’s mobile operating system – and the first to be called “iOS” instead of “iPhone OS” – iOS 4 brought notable updates in 2010. It introduced new features. Home screen folder, support for adding custom backgrounds, system-wide spell checker integration and much more. Kleinberg sums up iOS 4 in one word: nostalgia. iOS 4 looks a bit dated these days – as a reminder of how far iOS has come over the past decade. But if you think iOS 4 brings a sense of nostalgia to you, it seems a lot more ancient for 18-year-old Kleinberg. He was 7 years old when it came out. “My first experience with any form of modern mobile technology was iOS 4,” New York-based developer said. “It’s hard to say how special this software holds in my heart. That’s what first introduced me to my passion for app development and technology. I think we all enjoy clinging to a select few childhood memories, and a lot of my memories include this operating system.” iOS 4 running on iPhone 12 A few years after the release of iOS 4, Kleinberg – then in 4th grade – created a homework tracker as the first app on the App Store. Even though that app was no longer available, he didn’t mind. He chose Computer Science when he took the university entrance exam at the end of this year. Zane Kleinberg Kleinberg created OldOS using a combination of legacy assets like icons and other things he had to design himself. He said he’s tried to recreate most of the iOS 4 apps. However, some apps – like Mail, Calendar, YouTube, and Messages – still have “big problems” he’s working on. Apps vary in functionality, with some functioning more fully than others. For example, the Calculator app can do calculations, but the Messages app (which is still active) only shows notifications and the UI. In other words, OldOS is more of an interactive museum than a fully functional operating system. “For months, I had an iPhone 4 running iOS 4 on my desk and used the apps one by one, trying to figure out how Apple designed them, ” I said. “ Since I’m pretty well versed in reverse engineering, I’ll decompile the application binaries and try to see, from a more technical perspective, how Apple built its app. I also found the iOS 4 UI Kits, and was able to put them in Photoshop and have a look.” Other parts of Kleinberg’s OldOS project require different methods. “For apps like Stocks and Weather, which no longer work, I watched YouTube videos, trying to reason as much as I could about the design,” I said. “ It’s just a continuous process of looking at different pieces of stuff over and over, then trying to build it in SwiftUI, and then iterating until I’m happy with that UI element.” Unfortunately, you shouldn’t expect to find this app in the App Store. Kleinberg believes that Apple will not accept the free use of assets owned by Apple. Apple enforces strict guidelines about showcasing its products in apps. “This whole project is a testament to the extraordinary work of the Apple team both past and present,” said Kleinberg. “I just hope this project can convince them to re-evaluate their policies even a little bit.” For those who want to try OldOS, Kleinberg says it can be downloaded from TestFlight, Apple’s developer service for beta-testing apps. Or they can check out his OldOS project on Github.

Windows 10 Sun Valley will be a valuable update for users. At the moment there is still no certainty about what Microsoft will announce during the event, but based on what has been posted before, the event will certainly not talk about the dual-screen Windows 10X operating system. Because the company has decided to kill this operating system and start porting its important features to Windows 10. It is likely that the presentation will focus strongly on Sun Valley – a name that has appeared many times in recent times. Reports suggest that Sun Valley will bring a more modern look and feel, with rounded corners to elements like the Start menu and especially the end of Windows 95 era icons. Additionally, the company says could offer an revamp of the Windows Store to allow developers to use a third-party payment system – something like hitting Apple’s App Store. The new icon system will say goodbye to the old icons from the Windows 95 era. In addition, the event is expected to also feature a number of company leaders, including CEO Satya Nadella and Product Manager Panos Panay – who used to be the face of Microsoft’s Surface devices. company. At the Build event last month, Nadella confirmed that the upcoming changes to Windows 10 are “one of the most important Windows updates of the past decade”. Because the COVID-19 pandemic situation has not been completely controlled, the event will only be held by Microsoft in an online state instead of in person.

UC Browser is developed by UCWeb, a subsidiary of Alibaba (China). This is one of the most popular mobile browsers in Asia, with over 500 million downloads on Google Play alone. According to security researcher Gabi Cirlig, UC Browser silently sent iPhone users’ browsing data (even with incognito mode enabled) to UCWeb servers (registered in China, but located in the US). ). This is in stark contrast to the company’s previous statement, which does not record a user’s “browsing and search history” when incognito mode is activated. More worryingly, UC Browser also collects IDs (unique identifiers) to track users across various websites. The collection of user data happens on both Android and iOS versions, not sure what UCWeb is doing with all this information? Interested readers can watch the video at: “This kind of tracking is done on purpose,” Cirlig told Forbes. When compared with Google Chrome browser and some other popular browsers, he found there is no browser like UC Browser. UC Browser just rolled out a new update last week, but the company never mentioned monitoring users’ browsing activity. Currently the English version of UC Browser has been removed from the App Store, but the Chinese version still exists, and unlike the English version, it does not send data back to the UCWeb server. Earlier in 2019, the UC Browser version for Android also violated Google Play’s policies.

According to this leader, he never intended to experiment with opening 3rd-party app stores for its devices, because that would push users closer to the risk of malware exposure. Tim Cook appeared in court on May 21. Photo: Yahoo Finance. The view of Apple CEO received approval from Professor Justin Cappos, working at Tandon School of Engineering , belonging to New York University . “Clearly it is not possible for users to arbitrarily install software from their own application store,” Professor Justin Cappos stated on the website. Yahoo Finance . “Even if it’s a familiar app, there’s still the potential for increased malware and phishing on the iPhone.” Of course, Apple’s blocking of 3rd party app stores on iPhones is not simply about protecting consumers. The company also collects a 30% fee on transactions made through the App Store. In other words, while Apple is right when it comes to consumer protection, the dominance of the App Store still gets it in trouble with antitrust regulation. Tim Cook’s stance In an antitrust lawsuit being considered by the court, Epic claims Apple abused the position of the App Store, forcing developers to use a payment system it managed and paying a 30% fee. From summer 2020, Epic kicks things off with a Fortnite update, adding the option to pay for in-game currency through its own channel at a cheaper price than the App Store. Apple responded by removing Fortnite from the app store and locking down Epic’s developer account. The game company quickly filed a lawsuit against Apple for monopoly behavior, demanding a reduction in transaction fees through the App Store or allowing 3rd party app stores to operate on the iPhone. CEO Epic appeared in court on May 20. Photo: Yahoo Finance. The trial took place in May with many fierce arguments, and Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers is expected to announce the ruling next week. Here, Epic argues that if a 3rd-party app store appeared on the iPhone, developers could reduce the price of the app because it wouldn’t cost Apple 30% of the fee. Present in court, Tim Cook defended its stance on not allowing external app stores to appear on the iPhone. By comparing the amount of malware on iOS with platforms that allow the installation of 3rd party applications – Cook asserts that the iPhone accounts for only 1-2% of malware infections, while this rate on Android, Windows up to 30-40%. “If you look at the malware on iOS compared to Android and Windows, it’s really insignificant.” The numbers are on Apple’s side Cook’s view is reinforced by Report on smart device threats in 2020 published by Nokia. Accordingly, 26.64% of malware infections come from Android devices. This number is down from 47.15% in 2019. Nokia believes that security on Android has improved compared to before, in addition, hackers are gradually shifting attacks to IoT devices. Meanwhile, 38.92% of all malware infections originate from Windows PCs. The corresponding rate on Apple’s iPhone is only 1.72%. The rest belongs to other IoT devices. The rate of malware infection on iPhone is much lower than on other platforms. Photo: Yahoo Finance. Why the difference between the 3 operating systems? Professor Cappos says there are several factors at play, including iOS being updated more frequently than Android and Windows. Operating system updates will patch bugs that hackers can exploit with malware, making devices harder to jailbreak. In addition, Android and Windows are two of the most used platforms in the world, which makes them attractive targets for cybercriminals. Both the App Store and Play Store have automated malware detection processes, but Google has trouble allowing users to access 3rd-party app stores. Most security experts recommend not downloading it. download applications from these places due to the risk of malicious code insertion. Meanwhile, Windows allows users to install apps through the Windows Store or download them from anywhere on the web. Can’t “Security Flag” protect Apple? Apple does not disclose revenue from the App Store, instead, it bundles it with Services. This business, which includes Apple TV+, Apple Music+, and iCloud, will bring in $53.7 billion in 2020, or 20 percent of Apple’s $274 billion in total revenue. That proves the App Store is generating a lot of money for the company. With huge profits and strict controls on the app store, Apple may face accusations of unfair competition. According to Professor Shubha Ghosh of Syracuse University of Law , Apple needs to demonstrate that this business is up to the level of security it offers. Sometimes in the eyes of Judge Gonzalez Rogers, the 30% commission per transaction and the security of the platform don’t go together. Even security may not be the judge’s concern. “Antitrust courts don’t care so much about safety – they care about competition,” says Professor Sam Weinstein of Cardozo Law School explain. Why does Apple want to repair the iPhone itself? Apple wants to repair iPhones themselves instead of empowering 3rd parties or users.

This App is for customers in Hanoi and uses electronic meters to directly send real-time data. Every summer – the peak season for electricity use, many consumers have many doubts and questions about the sudden increase in monthly electricity bills. Now, the information about electricity index and electricity bill of each household will be more transparent than ever, and consumers can also limit their own electricity consumption, all thanks to a tool has just been posted to the app store With the desire to bring a completely new experience with outstanding utilities and features, Hanoi Electricity Corporation (EVNHANOI) has launched a mobile application for customers using electricity. . With just “one touch” right on a smart mobile device, consumers can look up and manage all information about electricity, especially, can actively monitor the daily power consumption index, set threshold of electricity usage warning, self-calculation of electricity bills… Consumers can look up and manage all information about electricity, especially actively monitoring the daily power consumption index. The Covid-19 epidemic broke out again right at the time when the capital Hanoi entered the hot season of 2021, along with that, people’s restriction of going out to prevent and control the epidemic caused the demand for electricity. activity increased. It can be said that at this moment, the newly launched application of the Hanoi Electricity Corporation is one of the “revolutionary” features when electricity users can know exactly every day their family. How much electricity has been used, thereby planning the optimal and more economical use of electricity. With the EVNHANOI App, customers can look up all information about electricity, from the schedule of meter readings, the schedule of power interruption, to being able to send requests and track the progress of electricity services right away. on applications such as new power supply services, electricity purchase and sale contract services (signing, changing, supplementing information,…); services on measuring equipment (testing, testing)… Besides, the EVNHANOI application also helps consumers to monitor the daily and monthly electricity consumption index and compare with the same period in the previous period. In particular, in the “Power consumption” feature, households can also set a warning threshold for electricity use. Simply Select “Warning Output Threshold (kWh)” or “Proportion of power output increased from last month” and the customer can set the desired number (kWh) or rate (%) to be alerted. Thanks to this mobile application, each household will plan to use electricity optimally and more economically. EVNHANOI App not only helps to control electricity consumption, but through two features “Essential power consumption of equipment” and “Billing tool”, consumers can also estimate the monthly cost of electricity. Approximately how much electricity will be used up by the family based on entering information about the quantity, type, frequency of use of electrical appliances in the household in use and checking the family’s electricity bill has the industry. whether the calculation is correct or not. Consumers only need to search for the keyword “EVNHANOI” on the App Store (for iOS operating system) and Google Play (for Android operating system) data stores to be able to download and use the EVNHANOI application right on their devices. smart mobile device.

The reaction comes after the New York Times revealed about the special relationship between Apple and China. Accordingly, Apple is accused of being a tool to help the Chinese government “monitor and censor user data”. Telegram “father” believes that Apple is selling outdated hardware devices at too high a price. In addition, the billionaire also criticized Apple’s business model and said that the company is “selling outdated hardware devices at too high a price to customers and locking them in the ecosystem of Apple. the firm”. “Every time I have to use the app on my iPhone, I feel like I have to go back to the Middle Ages. The 60 Hz screen of the iPhone offers an experience that is not as good as the 120 Hz screens on many Android smartphones today,” Durov shared. Not stopping there, the billionaire also added that outdated hardware is not the real problem of iPhones. The worst thing Apple is doing is not allowing users to install apps from sources other than the App Store. At the same time, users cannot use services other than iCloud to back up the device. In the past, the “father” of Telegram and Apple had many conflicts. In 2018, Apple removed the Telegram app from the App Store due to concerns about child pornography on the platform. In July 2020, Telegram accused Apple of monopolizing the European Commission. Most recently, in mid-January, Apple was sued by a non-profit organization called “Coalition for a Safer Web” for not removing Telegram, accusing it of being used by hate groups and extremists. use. According to VTV

Recently, the shocking investigation of New York Times shows that Apple has tacit agreements and about data sharing in China. Taking the opportunity, Durov commented on his Telegram channel that Apple was operating under the direction of China. Telegram was once blocked in Russia because the government believed that terrorists used the app to plan and coordinate terrorist attacks. Photo: Caspiannews. Durov also said that Apple’s business model is based on “selling outdated, expensive hardware to customers in this company’s ecosystem”. He added that the 60 Hz screen of the iPhone cannot compete with the 120 Hz products of Android phones and iOS is an outdated software. According to Durov, the worst part is that iPhone users are seen as the company’s “digital slaves”. Specifically, they are only allowed to install apps from the App Store and back up data on iCloud. “It’s no surprise that Apple’s authoritarian approach is appreciated by China, allowing the country to have full control over the apps and data of all its citizens,” Durov said. Ironically, Apple was sued earlier this year for allowing Telegram to work on the App Store. According to the Coalition for a Safer Web (CSW), the app is used by opposition groups and extremists as a communication channel to spread misinformation and racial divisions in the US and Europe. .

At the center of this long-running lawsuit is Fortnite, a popular video game produced by Epic that was removed from Apple’s App Store last summer for violating Apple’s rules on technical billing. due to have arbitrarily established a payment system of their own. Apple takes 30% of the value of in-app purchases on iOS devices and does not allow the use of alternative payment systems. Fortnite’s removal from the App Store prompted Epic to file a lawsuit against Apple. Squeeze the developer Epic accuses Apple of having monopolistic control over the “ecosystem” of the iOS operating system, with app makers forced to abide by its strict restrictions if they want access to hundreds of thousands of users. million iPhone and iPad users, Apple also countered that there are several other places where users can buy apps and their commissions help the company make its devices better and more secure. The CEO has his first court appearance since taking power at Apple. Photo: Getty. Several executives from both sides also testified, including Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, and Phil Schiller, Apple’s former chief marketing officer, now serving as Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering. new role as Apple Fellow. Both were subpoenaed by the court earlier this week. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney is the first witness in the nearly three-week trial and is expected to end on Monday. Tim Cook and Apple are facing many dangers, not only this cult lawsuit. Cook’s testimony on Friday is likely to spark a battle against the growing antitrust pressure it is facing. Other “Frenemy” (meaning both friends and enemies) like Spotify and Match Group, the owner of Tinder, have all accused Apple of anti-competitive behavior. Even legal authorities in some countries including the US and UK have launched investigations into Apple’s regulations. Despite numerous defenses before Congress and numerous public appearances and interviews, Mr Cook appears to be preparing for his day in court. According to a report from Wall Street Journal , he spent many hours mock interrogation with former prosecutors to simulate what he might face during the trial. “The scary thing for Epic is that Tim Cook is such a compelling witness,” said Herbert Hovenkap, professor of legal studies and business ethics at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. He’s doing what he’s been paid to do, which is bringing Apple’s lawsuit to the public.” According to the list of witnesses presented to the court, Mr. Cook will speak about “Corporate Values; Apple’s business operations and the development and launch of the App Store; the competition that Apple faces.” An Apple representative said Mr. Cook is likely to share more from his personal perspective on security and privacy issues – issues he has often criticized companies in the past – and the importance of them to Apple’s product philosophy. Roses come with quality Mr. Cook is expected to synthesize and strengthen the arguments that other Apple lawyers, experts and executives have made during the trial – that the iPhone’s App Store is not a proprietary trademark. The company argues that the 30% commission it receives through in-app purchases is not an illegal gain, but rather to make Apple devices better, more secure like their strict management of applications on Apple devices. In his testimony, Schiller highlighted the amount of money Apple has spent on research and development — an estimated $100 billion over the past 15 years — to make product improvements that developers are benefiting from. it. He also sought to counter Epic’s efforts to accuse Apple of being a monopolist. The lawsuit between Apple and Epic will determine the future of the relationship between app developers and Apple. Photo: Cnet. Epic Games company says Apple is forcing developers to play by its draconian rules such as only using the App Store and means of paying for in-app purchases if it wants to gain access to a market of more than a billion dollars. iPhone and iPad users. (Michael Schmid, Apple’s head of game business development for the App Store, revealed during the trial that Apple made more than $100 million in commissions from Fortnite.) Schiller also listed a range of Apple competitors: Google, Samsung, Motorola, Huawei and even game consoles like Sony’s PlayStation, Microsoft’s Xbox and Nintendo’s Switch. Apple claims that many of these companies also take 30% commissions and have similar restrictions on outside apps. “There are still a lot of other competitors in the distribution of applications, not just Apple,” he added. Federighi, the company’s chief software officer, further emphasized the importance of Apple’s security measures for the iOS operating system on its mobile devices. He even heavily criticized the company’s MacOS computer operating system during the trial. Unlike iPhones, Macbook laptops allow the use and download of applications from outside, a process known as “side-loading”. Epic has repeatedly pointed out and called on Apple to emulate this approach with its mobile devices. However, Apple’s lawyers and executives argue that the iPhone needs to be more secure because the risk of the device being exposed to security holes and exploitation is great, especially when smartphones are used. often contain more sensitive personal data of users than other devices such as computers, laptops… “If you take Mac security techniques and apply them to the iOS ecosystem, with so many devices and value for it, things are going to be a lot worse than they already are. on Mac,” said Mr. Federighi. “We now have a bunch of malware on Mac, which is much worse than iOS. It’s not acceptable!”. Florian Ederer, an economics professor at the Yale School of Management, thinks Cook will stick to his earlier arguments. “It is very difficult to get any new information or arguments from this CEO’s testimony that have not yet been brought to the attention of the judge,” he said. “Basically, having Cook in court is Apple’s best move to show the judge that they are taking this matter completely seriously. If there is any other purpose, perhaps it is the respect of Cook in particular and Apple in general for this lengthy litigation process,” Ederer added.

This information was confirmed by the iTunes Customer Experience Manager at the time, Dale Bagwell, on Motherboard in an email that 128 million consumers downloaded more than 2,500 apps infected with malware that came from fake copies. Xcode’s appearance. In total, these 2,500 infected apps were downloaded more than 203 million times in the App Store. Another Apple recruiter mentioned that “China represents 55% of customers and 66% of downloads”, also referring to the malware “XcodeGhost”. According to multiple internal Apple emails, about 18 million affected users are based in the US. Notably, Apple has had many internal discussions about how to send warnings to affected developers and users because the number of customers potentially exposed to malicious code is quite high. Even so, App Store VP Matt Fischer notes that this will pose some challenges in terms of localization of the email’s language, since downloading these apps takes place in the App Store. all over the world. As a result, Apple failed to send warnings to users and developers. Even popular apps like WeChat and Angry Birds 2, designed for the Chinese market, are on the affected list, the report said. As soon as the malware was identified, Apple asked developers to immediately recompile their apps with a genuine version of Xcode. Lookout explains that “developers are drawn to downloading this fake version of Xcode because it will download much faster in China than the official version of Xcode from Apple’s Mac App Store.” Following this incident, Apple increased the security of Xcode installation and malware scanning when submitting apps to the App Store. In testimony from one of the heads of the App Store at the trial of the lawsuit between Epic and Apple, this person said the iOS app review process is part of Apple’s charge for the App Store.

After a while of not updating, Google has added a list of collected data for all products released on the App Store, including the photo storage application Google Photos. Like Gmail, Chrome or Maps, Google Photos collects more data than apps of its kind, including Apple Photos. The data collection list is revealed as Google complies with Apple’s new rule, which requires all apps released on the App Store to list the types of data it collects, such as browsing history or location, including personal information. associated with the user’s identity (financial data, contacts…), serving personalized advertising. This list is called Privacy Label. Zing Summary of article translation by author Zak Doffman on Forbes about Google Photos collecting too much data on the iPhone. Google Photos collects many times more data than Apple Photos Looking at the Google Photos privacy label on the App Store, it’s not surprising that the app collects a lot of data, including seemingly unrelated information such as transaction history, phone numbers. … According to Google, the privacy label shows all the information that can be collected, but what data is actually recorded depends on the feature used. The Google Photos privacy label on the App Store reveals how much more data the browser collects than Apple Photos, which comes pre-installed on the iPhone. Photo: Forbes. “We will collect contact data if you want to share photos with others, or if you want to buy photo books, we will store credit card information, shopping data. They will not be collected if you don’t want to share photos or buy photo books,” explains Google. That’s Google’s description of how their photo-saving apps get contact information or transaction history. The company believes that iCloud is the storage platform behind Apple Photos, while Google Photos has its own storage and some special features. However, history shows that Apple and Google’s approach to privacy are very different. While Apple only collects data, receives revenue from the purchase and use of Apple products, Google’s revenue is largely based on personalized advertising, which appears on the majority of websites you visit on the Internet. . The closer the ad is displayed to the audience, the more money Google will collect based on the click. There are two main sections in the privacy label on the App Store, including “linked data” and “unlinked data”. Developers only use unaffiliated data to improve the service, track usage frequency or the location where it is most enabled. As for the linked data, they can use it to paint a “picture” of your interests and activities on the Internet. Compared to Apple Photos, Google Photos is a more complex application, so users can accept sending a lot of information to Google to use all functions. However, if you look at the Chrome browser, all the collected data is linked to the user’s identity. Finding the basic difference between Chrome and Safari or other browsers is not easy. Millions of Apple product users are using Google Photos, according to Forbes. Photo: 9to5Google. Various ways to get Google’s data Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google once affirmed that “do not use information in applications that mainly store personal data such as Gmail, Drive, Calendar and Photos for advertising purposes”. However, even if Photos doesn’t collect information for advertising purposes, Google’s advertising ecosystem is quite complex, and it doesn’t need to link directly to a person’s specific activity to target an audience. Google argues that Apple has its own advantages when it comes to collecting data from a variety of sources. Meanwhile, Google requires users of Apple and other platforms to create login accounts, which is like creating a repository of information about them similar to the Android platform. When you install Google Photos on your iPhone, you’ll get a notification that says “Google Photos needs to access all your photos” to view, share, and back up photos. However, from a privacy perspective, it’s an “all or nothing” question, users need to accept that data leaves Apple’s control to another company if they want to use the service normally. often. Google also confirmed the collection of EXIF ​​data in each photo. These are parameters related to the time, the exact location at which the photo was taken, including the device and camera settings. “We use EXIF ​​to improve in-app experiences, such as memories (Memories) or photo book recommendations based on recent travel,” Google said. Google also confirmed to collect EXIF ​​data in each image. Photo: Culf of Mac. Finally, your information may serve an advertisement, even if it is not mentioned directly. Facebook has admitted that even without permission to share location on smartphones, it can still collect this information based on EXIF ​​in uploaded photos. Over the past few years, the technology industry has had to pay more attention to customer privacy as many lawmakers become increasingly concerned about the misuse of user data. Google is facing at least three major antitrust lawsuits, including a landmark lawsuit initiated by the US Department of Justice and a complaint from a bipartisan coalition of states. While Google Photos has more features than Apple Photos or some other apps, understand the data trade-offs when you accept it. Everyone has the right to choose what services and data is collected. If you still use Google Photos despite reading the privacy label, that’s your decision. Why doesn’t Google want you to say ‘Go Google’? If Google is so widely used that it no longer defines what it is but is used as a generic term, they could lose the trademark.

App Store icon on the phone screen. Photo: AFP/VNA The lawsuit is filed by digital economist Rachael Kent and is being considered by the UK Court of Competition Appeal. In the lawsuit, expert Kent asks Apple to return money to UK customers, for which about 19.6 million people will be compensated a total of 1.5 billion pounds ($2.1 billion). Expert Kent, a lecturer at King’s College, University of London, believes that Apple has a monopoly when the App Store is the only door to download many applications to iPhone and iPad. According to this lecturer after 13 years, the App Store is still the only source for Apple devices to access apps, reflecting the company’s selfish “guarding” of the entrance to the world of apps, charging subscription fees. import and use “unfairly” and this is proprietary behavior. According to the lawsuit, Apple receives about 30% of the cost of purchasing an app. Apple, for its part, called this a planned lawsuit and shouldn’t have happened. The US technology company insists that it is always committed to customers and that the App Store has brought a lot of benefits to the creative economy in the UK. Apple is also facing many legal challenges related to exclusivity when using the App Store. Epic Games – the maker of the famous Fortnite game – also sued this company in court for the same reason. Last month, the European Union (EU) officially accused Apple of relying on the App Store, which has gradually eliminated competitors in the field of streaming (streaming). In March, UK competition authorities also launched an investigation into Apple related to the App Store.

Plaintiffs stated in a press release on Tuesday (May 11) that Apple’s standard 30% fee is “excessive” and “illegal.” The case was formally brought to the Court of Antitrust Appeal in London, demanding that Apple compensate for the outrageous fees it has charged UK iPhone and iPad users over the years. The plaintiffs allege that as of October 2015, any UK iPhone and iPad user who has purchased a paid app, paid subscription, or made other in-app purchases is entitled to compensation. . They estimate that Apple could face more than $2.1 billion in damages. Apple is constantly facing lawsuits. The lead plaintiff in this case, Rachael Kent, a professor at King’s College London, said: “Apple has abused its dominant position in the app store market, thereby harming UK consumers. “. Through studying consumer interaction and dependence on digital platforms, Rachael Kent confirms it. In response, Apple called the lawsuit “baseless” and said in an email: “We believe there is no basis for a lawsuit, but the court welcomes the opportunity to discuss it with us and our unwavering commitment to consumers. This is the same as the UK App Store creating one. The new economy brings a lot of benefits.” “The standard of commission that the App Store charges is very close to that of all other digital platforms. In fact, 84% of the apps in the App Store are free and these developers won’t. pay Apple any fees. For some developers who pay Apple commissions for selling digital products or services, they qualify for the low 15% interest rate.” , Apple continues to share. However, the plaintiff alleges that Apple intentionally excluded competition and forced ordinary users to use its own payment processing system, thereby illegally bringing high profits to the company. . Previously, the famous game developer Epic Games in the US also alleged that Apple’s platform operates exclusively, fraudulently, affecting the interests of developers and consumers. Meanwhile, another lawsuit in the UK also targets Apple, focusing on the damage Apple causes to consumers, not developers. Earlier this year, Apple reduced the App Store fee for some developers from 30% to 15%. Developers with an annual income of less than $1 million and developers new to the platform can enjoy lower fees. In recent times, Apple has also faced strong opposition from global regulators and developers. They accuse Apple of being only interested in its own interests, offering unfair fees and coercive policies. This situation is threatening Apple’s billions of dollars in revenue. Last month, the European Commission issued a statement opposing Apple, detailing how Apple abused its “gatekeeper” rights over music streaming apps in the App Store.

“The desire to get rich quick makes new investors vulnerable to scammers. Authorities may not have the resources to deal with all cases.” Investors’ Chronicle comment. Action Fraud data shows that in 2020, crypto-related scams in the UK increased by 57% year-on-year to 5,581. Not to mention the scams that have not yet been reported. In January 2021, the number of fraud cases doubled from the same period in 2020 to 720 cases, or 23 cases per day. Scammers have more and more sophisticated tricks to scam cryptocurrencies. Photo: Reuters. Losing hundreds of millions of dollars According to sources of Investors’ Chronicle , victims in the UK lost 113 million GBP ($159.62 million) last year. A common tactic used by scammers is soliciting calls and other forms. In January 2021 alone, victims lost about 14.3 million GBP ($20.2 million), which means that each scam stole about 20,000 GBP (28,251 USD). Bitcoin price skyrocketed, many investors began to accept Bitcoin as a safe investment. That pushes crypto investment companies to come up with a bunch of new tricks to entice customers. Many scammers are also quick to seize the opportunity. They use online platforms and advertisements that can bypass the regulator. Back in 2018, Facebook and Google banned all Bitcoin advertising on their platforms. The reason is that many advertisements are used to mislead investors. However, since then, both companies have been repeatedly implicated in accusations of deceptive advertisements on their websites. In January 2021, the number of crypto-related scams doubled from the same period in 2020 to 720 cases, or 23 cases per day. In July 2020, scammers raised $100,000 after hacking several popular Twitter accounts and posting notices that they would pay double if followers sent Bitcoins to an anonymous Bitcoin address. According to reports, some calls even asked elderly people to invest in fake cryptocurrency schemes. Not only attracting young investors, Bitcoin is becoming more and more widely recognized. Research by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) indicates 22% of crypto investors are over the age of 55 in 2020, compared to just 7% in 2019. “There are a lot of opportunities for crypto scams. Some people have made a fortune in crypto and that attracts vulnerable investors,” said Sam Tate at law firm RPC. Desire to get rich The prices of Bitcoin and Ether – the world’s two most popular cryptocurrencies – have surged in recent months. Bitcoin is up 95% year-to-date, while Ether is up 480%. Even Dogecoin – the cryptocurrency that started as a joke – has increased in price by more than 10,000% since January 1, 2021. The skyrocketing price momentum caused investors to flock to cryptocurrencies even without really understanding them. According to a recent survey by Harris Pol, most Americans who have heard of cryptocurrencies do not fully understand them. About 61% of people admit they don’t understand, or understand very little about how they work. On March 30, an investor named Phillipe Christodoulou reported that he had lost 17.1 Bitcoins (equivalent to $600,000 at the time) in his digital wallet. Specifically, after downloading an app rated nearly 5 stars on the App Store, Mr. Christodoulou lost all of his Bitcoins in less than a second. The app pretends to be the manufacturer of crypto storage devices Treznor, although in fact has no affiliation with this company. UK-based Coinfirm, a company that specializes in investigating cryptocurrency scams, revealed that it has received more than 7,000 requests from people who have had their crypto stolen since October 2019. Ether and Bitcoin prices skyrocket in 2021. The fake apps are mainly in the Google Play Store for Android and Apple’s App Store, according to Pawel Aleksander, Coinfirm’s chief information officer. Coinfirm said five people reported having their crypto stolen by the fake Trezor iOS app, with a total loss of $1.6 million. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also warned that cryptocurrencies are a “particular concern” and are often used for illicit financial activities such as money laundering. The Securities and Exchange Commission of Thailand recently proposed a new rule that could force individual investors to have certain knowledge about cryptocurrencies before being allowed to open a trading account. According to Andrew Bailey, Governor of the Bank of England (BoE), cryptocurrencies “have no intrinsic value” and investors should prepare for a loss mentality. “Cryptocurrencies may have external value but no intrinsic value. Only invest in it when you are ready to lose all your money,” Bailey said at a press conference. Scammers try to convince their victims that they are knowledgeable and professional, which can yield great returns with little investment and effort. Sanjay Andersen However, according to Investors’ Chronicle , the authorities may not have the resources to deal with Bitcoin-related scams on social media. “The question is whether there are enough resources available for crypto criminals. Where does the additional funding to tackle crypto scams come from?” asked Mr. Tate at RPC. “UK regulators and partners like the Financial Conduct Authority understand that investment fraud has a serious impact on victims’ finances and confidence,” said Director of the Department of State Affairs Sanjay Andersen. British National Fraud newspaper confirmed. “We work closely together to stop the criminal activity, shut down the websites and bank accounts of the people behind the scams and bring them to the dock,” he stressed. “Scammers try to convince their victims that they are knowledgeable and professional, and can yield great returns with little investment and effort,” commented Mr Andersen. “But remember, if a deal seems too good to be true, it could be a scam,” he added.

Accordingly, the group is asking Apple to return money to UK customers, with about 19.6 million people will be compensated a total of 1.5 billion pounds (equivalent to 2.1 billion USD). They believe that the US technology company has a monopoly when the App Store is the only “door” to download many applications to iPhone and iPad. The application emphasizes that after 13 years, the App Store is still the only source for Apple devices to access applications, proving that the company has been selfish, charging login fees and using this mechanism unfairly. They claim this is proprietary behavior. According to the lawsuit, Apple receives about 30% of the cost of purchasing an app. Apple, for its part, calls this a planned lawsuit and shouldn’t have happened. The company insists it is committed to its customers and that the App Store has greatly benefited the UK creative economy.
In addition, Apple is currently facing many legal challenges related to exclusivity when using the App Store because of a lawsuit for the same reason by Epic Games – the maker of the famous Fortnite game. according to iMore

Expert Kent, a lecturer at King’s College, University of London, believes that Apple has a monopoly when the App Store is the only door to download many applications to iPhone and iPad. App Store is always accused of charging too much According to this lecturer after 13 years, the App Store is still the only source for Apple devices to access applications, reflecting the company’s selfish “guarding” of the entrance to the world of applications, charging subscription fees. import and use “unfairly” and this is proprietary behavior. According to the lawsuit, Apple receives about 30% of the cost of purchasing an app. Apple has denied these allegations and said it would be open to discussing “the commitment to consumers and the many benefits the App Store has brought to the UK’s innovation economy”. The company also compared the App Store to other digital marketplaces and reiterated that the majority of developers don’t pay Apple for anything because 84% of the apps on the App Store are free. Last month, the European Union (EU) officially accused Apple of relying on the App Store, which has gradually eliminated competitors in the field of streaming (streaming). In March, UK competition authorities also launched an investigation into Apple related to the App Store.

App Store currently has more than 4.3 million apps and games serving Apple’s mobile platform. In addition, “Apple” also revealed, its anti-fraud platform has also prevented and removed nearly 1 million applications that are potentially risky or vulnerable to attack from the App Store. Parallel to the data release, Apple also describes how to combat fraud in the online application market, highlighting the need for application censorship and tools powerful enough to deal with behavior. cheating in ratings and reviews of the app. The company also closely monitors developers’ accounts for misconduct. Apple says 180,000 developers successfully launch new apps on the App Store in 2020. However, during the same time period, nearly a million new apps and one million “problematic” updates. Was rejected. Of these, more than 48,000 cases were blocked because of hidden features or not enough paperwork required. Approximately 150,000 cases were rejected for causing misleading, spreading junk information or copying piracy. Apple also said it has wiped out 215,000 privacy-violating apps, including asking users to provide more information than necessary and using the collected information for the wrong purpose. Apple also removed more than 250 million ratings and reviews for not meeting content censorship guidelines. The US technology giant also warned of a new wave of “crime” on app stores. Just over the past month, they’ve had to deal with a bunch of conversion-functional apps after they have been approved for release. Among these, the most popular are applications that solicit money, distribute pornography, and gambling applications. With violations discovered, a total of 470,000 developer accounts on the App Store were removed. Apple also rejected 205,000 newly registered accounts due to concerns of fraud.

The first mass attack on Apple’s mobile platform came to light when researchers discovered 40 malicious apps that existed on the App Store. Apple was silent about the biggest attack on the iOS platform. Photo: Getty Images. When the scope of the investigation was expanded, this number was eventually determined to be 4,000. They contain malicious code that makes iPhone and iPad part of the botnet. Simply put, the iPhone infected with malicious code becomes the iPhone “zombie”, manipulated for many malicious purposes. Malware infiltrated 128 million iPhones This shocking information has just been revealed by Epic’s lawyers, a few days before the trial of the antitrust lawsuit between the game maker and Apple. Accordingly, on the afternoon of September 21, 2015, about a week after Apple launched iPhone 6s / 6s Plus, Apple leaders discovered 2,500 malicious applications on the App Store, which were downloaded by 128 million users, total plus 203 million visitors, of which 18 million users in the US. Thousands of malware appeared on 128 million iPhones. Photo: Bankinfosecurity. “Joz, Tom and Christine – the number of affected customers is very large, should we email all of them?”, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Global Marketing, Greg Joswiak team members by email. “If so, Dale Bagwell from the Customer Experience team will take care of it. It should be noted that it is difficult to translate emails into the local language, as the application is downloaded in many different countries around the world. About 10 hours later, Bagwell joined the discussion on this matter. Obviously localizing the content, especially the exact name of the application, is not easy. Finally, no emails are sent to the client. Apple quietly posted a simple Q&A document, which generally lists the series of malicious codes appearing on the App Store and the 25 most downloaded names of these. Currently the post has also been deleted. Malware impersonates Apple’s development tools The biggest attack in iOS history came from developers writing apps using fake Xcode – Apple’s iOS and OS X software development tools. The version called XcodeGhost stealthily inserted malicious code alongside the normal functions of the application. Since then, the infected applications cause the victim’s iPhone to be controlled and controlled by the server, and provide a lot of information about the device, including name, identification code, network information, details in ” IDfierForVendor ”… XcodeGhost has embedded the malicious code in popular applications. Photo: Hackread. In China, XcodeGhost promises to load faster than the Xcode toolkit provided by Apple. When developers use the fake version, they receive a warning from Gatekeeper, the macOS security feature requires the app to be verified by a reputable publisher. Eventually, however, thousands of apps developed from the fake toolkit still appeared on the App Store. Disappointing behavior of Apple According to the Wired The Cupertino giant has long made security and privacy a top priority on its devices. Therefore, they need to report directly to the users affected by this serious incident. Google has a bad reputation for being silent when users download malicious apps on Android or the Chrome browser, now it’s Apple’s turn. This is not the first malware scandal on the App Store that eventually falls silent. From 2013, page ArsTechnica found that the application “Jekyll” passed an Apple rating but ultimately contained malicious code. The leaders of Apple have forwarded back and forth, discussing a lot about the method of controlling and approving applications on the App Store. However, all are kept internally confidential without public notice to affected users. IOS 15 build with many new features The new iOS build integrates quite a few features that users have been waiting for.

Photo: Sina Technology According to CNBC, Apple today released a report on its App Store-related data, mainly describing the work the App Store has done in the direction of security and fraud prevention over the past year, and published a lot of related data. This is the first time Apple publishes such data, in this report, Apple does not point out what they bring to developers and users, but what they refuse to ensure safety and experience. App Store experience. Denied 1 million applications Since its inception in 2008, the Apple App Store has become the world’s largest distribution channel and app download platform. According to official data, up to now, there are a total of 1.8 million apps distributed on the app store in 175 different countries and regions around the world. In addition to the quantity, quality and safety of the App Store are also important reasons for many to choose, and even the reason why users switch from Android to iPhone. But the average user rarely thinks behind millions of apps is Apple’s attempt to secure apps on the platform. In fact, security threats have existed since the App Store was launched in 2008, and are becoming more sophisticated as the App Store has grown. Of course, Apple is also working to raise and improve its own security standards. In order for high-quality apps to be listed on the App Store and for developers and users to have the best experience, behind that is the efforts of the Apple App Store review team, including machines (the program AI detects), but Apple believes humans are the last line of defense. On the one hand, the review team develops relevant guidelines and is constantly updating to measure if an app meets Apple’s security standards at launch. On the other hand, many developers have encountered the case of having to submit apps multiple times before they hit the shelves, behind this being the tight scrutiny of Apple’s review team. The reason may be because their application is incomplete / not good enough or not satisfied Apple with the security requirements. In 2020, Apple’s app review team supported 180,000 new developers to bring their work to the App Store for the first time; However, due to the stringent app store rating criteria, many applications were rejected. According to Apple’s disclosure, they rejected 1 million new apps and 1 million app update requests last year. Let’s take a closer look at the apps that were denied on the list, partly because of a breach; There were also 215,000 applications rejected for asking for too much user data on mobile phones; 48,000 apps were rejected because they contained hidden functions, 150,000 apps were rated as spam or otherwise copied apps. All will affect the quality of the apps in the App Store in varying degrees, thereby affecting the user experience. These numbers represent Apple’s ambition to pursue its own high-quality app store and ecosystem, and is also the reason why many Android users “admire” the iOS ecosystem as mentioned above. . “Stone” 470,000 toxic developers Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) at the San Jose Convention Center in 2018. In addition to denying apps, Apple sometimes punishes developers for violating the rules. For example, some developers intentionally change application functionality after passing a review or even engaging in criminals / crimes. The most common are gambling-related apps, illegal lending, and pornography; there are even apps for drug trafficking, sex chat, and more. According to Apple data, by 2020, about 95,000 apps will be removed from the App Store due to fraud and fraud. If a developer’s violation is severe or recurring, their account will be permanently closed. In 2020, Apple terminated 470,000 developer accounts because of the risk of fraud. In the past month alone, Apple blocked more than 3.2 million app installs through the Apple Developer Enterprise Program. The original purpose of this project was to allow large organizations like companies and businesses to develop apps for internal use only, not open to the public. But some people use this approach to “bypass” the internal application review and abuse process. Of course, no matter how tight the controls are, it’s inevitable that there are up to 1.8 million apps on the App Store. Apple has also opened up a feedback mechanism, users or developers can choose to “report a problem” function in the App Store or call Apple support. Stop $ 1.5 billion in fraud suspected transactions Problem security of Android is often compared with Apple. Since the Apple ID is tied to the payment account and is the “key” of the Apple ecosystem, it is also very easy to become a target for criminals. As a result, Apple is building more secure payment technologies, such as Apple Pay and StoreKit. Currently, more than 900,000 apps in the App Store are using these technologies to sell goods and services. For example, credit card information in Apple Pay won’t be shared with the merchant (and the merchant won’t see it), which eliminates risk factors in the checkout process. However, criminals can also use the App Store to purchase goods and services for money laundering or other improper purposes. According to official data, by 2020, Apple prevented more than 3 million stolen credit cards from being used to purchase goods or services through technical means + manual review. In addition, they block more than $ 1.5 billion in “potentially fraudulent transactions”. The revelation comes amid Epic Games’ antitrust lawsuit against Apple and focuses on the App Store failures. The Fortnite maker is looking to force Apple to remove 30% of the commission on in-app purchases. Epic lawyers have argued that Apple’s App Store is too “wall-bound,” hindering app makers from competing, and that Apple’s rules are unevenly applied to different developers. . The lawsuit filed by Epic Games calls for changes to the existing app review process and the use of other in-app payment systems. Epic also says Apple’s process is unfair, sometimes approving malware in the store. Apple employees argued in court that the number of errors it made was very small given the size of the App Store. Apple also strongly denies the abuse of market power, saying that the lawsuit Epic filed with is an “attack” on a business model that benefits developers as well as consumers. Apple has protected the App Store as an essential part of its business. Last week, an Apple lawyer argued that allowing users to install software from outside the App Store, like Android, creates a security risk and that Apple doesn’t want to be Android.

CEO Tim Cook speaks at WWDC 2018 (Image: Getty Images) This is the first time Apple publish this data. It is a sign of “defective apple” becoming more transparent in the process of approving and rejecting iPhone applications under pressure from many countries. Thanks to the application review system, comparing with the App Store regulatory list, the company can keep iPhone users safe from fraud, malware or poor experience. Apple also published some notable figures for 2020. Accordingly, the manufacturer Iphone rejected nearly 1 million applications submitted for the first time; deny nearly 1 million application updates. 48,000 applications removed due to use of “hidden or unreported features”; 150,000 applications removed for spam or other application copying; 215,000 apps removed for collecting too much user data or violating privacy; 95,000 applications were removed due to phishing, usually they change to other types of applications such as gambling, porn. 470,000 accounts disabled from the developer program for phishing. Additionally, last month, Apple declined 3.2 million app downloads using an enterprise license. This is how large businesses often use to circumvent the App Store law to install internal apps on employees’ iPhones. Currently, the lawsuit between Apple and Epic Games is taking place. Game maker Fortnite denounces the App Store as a “closed garden”, hurting developers, and Apple discriminates against many. Epic Games also confirmed that Apple’s process is not perfect, sometimes approving malware. Apple employees themselves have admitted their process is not good enough to prevent scams. At the trial, Apple said, combining 500 automated reviewers and testers to review nearly 5 million applications per year, from 2017 to 2019 (updates included), the rate from declined from 33% to 36%. The flaws are too small for the size of the App Store. Apple sees the App Store as a fundamental, irreplaceable part of its business. This is the only way for users to install software on the iPhone. Apple’s attorney argued that if users let users download apps from outside the App Store the way Android is doing, they would be at risk of security. Apple doesn’t want to be Android. Du Lam (According to CNBC)

The malware affected 128 million iPhone users. The XcodeGhost malware was spread by hackers through the hidden installation of a version of Xcode programming software, then sharing on forums for iOS developers. Some of these malicious applications at that time included many popular names such as WeChat, the Chinese version of Angry Birds 2. Statistics show that about 2500 applications were infected with malware and up to 203 million users who downloaded these anti-malware applications Security experts believe that the XcodeGhost malware can collect information such as infected application name, device model, network information and some other data. Later, Apple said it did not record the data associated with the user’s identity, or the iCloud login password was collected. After the problem was discovered, Apple asked developers to use the official version of Xcode to compile the app before re-releasing it on the App Store. According to the 9to5mac Apple also strengthens the security process when installing Xcode, checking the application’s malicious code before releasing it on the App Store after the incident.

Fleeceware is a term used to refer to applications that trick users into trying it out for free within 3-7 days, after which time the application will automatically register (pay a fee) and charge the credit card. Many people believe that uninstalling the app before the trial period expires will not be charged, but this is completely wrong. In order not to be charged from the card, you need to unsubscribe from the app. However, many developers have intentionally failed to inform users about this. According to Avast statistics, 204 Fleeceware applications have been downloaded more than 1 billion times, earning $ 400 million in revenue through the App Store and Google Play. The purpose of these applications is to get users to try it for free for 3-7 days, after which time the app will automatically register (paid) for sometimes up to $ 3,432 / year. . To limit the loss of money, you just need to disable purchases on the App Store by going to Settings (settings) – Screen Time (time use) – Turn on Screen Time (turn on time usage) – Continue – Content & Privacy Restrictions (restrictions enabled). How to enable screen time feature on iPhone. Photo: MINH HOANG Next, users need to enable the Content & Privacy Restrictions option – iTunes & App Store Purchases – In-app Purchases (in-app purchases), then set it to Don’t allow. Turn off purchases on the App Store. Photo: MINH HOANG From now on, every time a child or Fleeceware apps automatically subscribe to a premium, the iPhone will immediately show In-app purchases are not allowed. To increase security, you should set a time passcode by going to Settings (settings) – Screen Time (usage time) – Use Screen Time Passcode (use time passcode), next According to the user just set a passcode (different from the iPhone passcode). Finally, the iPhone will ask you to enter the Apple ID used to recover the passcode if you forget it.