The current privacy debate is making things worse by not considering trade-offs, the inherent nature of digital, or the far bigger problems that come with digitizing the offline world.
Trump Orders Companies to Look for China Alternative, Apple’s Chokepoint, The Potential Tariff Impact
Apple’s risk in the trade war is becoming very real, with tariffs set to hit the end of this week. Tim Cook continues to leverage his relationship with President Trump, but that is only a temporary solution to a single chokepoint on the company’s business.
A Framework for Moderation
The question of what should be moderated, and when, is an increasingly frequent one in tech. There is no bright line, but there are ways to get closer to an answer.
HBO Max and Friends; British Airways, Marriott Hit with GDPR Fines; Zoom’s Vulnerability
HBO Max is AT&T’s new streaming service, and it is paying a lot for Friends. Then, the best part of GDPR has its intended effect, while Zoom shows that security still isn’t a priority
Delrahim’s Speech on Tech and Antitrust; Tech and Antitrust, Updated; YouTube and Instagram’s Scale Defense
The Department of Justice antitrust chief gave a speech yesterday that should make tech nervous, particularly Google and Facebook. Then, why Google and Facebook’s scale defense is not sufficient.
Tech and Antitrust
A review of the potential antitrust cases against Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon suggests that only Google is vulnerable.
U.S. Department of Justice Preparing Investigation of Google?; The DoJ, Google, and Politics; The Antitrust Indicator
Google is potentially facing antitrust action in the U.S., and both Democrats and Republicans appear to be on board. Then, why antitrust action, even if justified, is usually an indicator of decline, not a cause.
Apple Defends App Store, Apple’s App Store Motivations
Apple defends the App Store, with has genuine benefits, rather unconvincingly. Then, an illuminating interview about Apple’s App Store motivations.
China, Leverage, and Values
If there is a new tech cold war, it is one with shots fired over a decade ago, largely by China. The questions going forward are about both leverage and values.
The Supreme Court Rules Against Apple, In Favor of the Dissent, The Implications of Apple v Pepper
The antitrust case against the Apple App Store is going to move forward. It’s the wrong decision, and the reasons why explain why new legislation is needed.