“Following Nancy Pelosi’s ‘poor Tim’ comment earlier this week, Apple today is again the target of yet another politician,” Chance Miller reports for 9to5Mac. “This time, Massachusetts senator and potential Hillary Clinton running mate Elizabeth Warren has slammed Apple, Google, and Amazon for using their size to ‘snuff out competition.'”
“Warren’s comments came during a speech in Washington at event called ‘America’s Monopoly Problem,'” Miller reports. “Specifically referring to Apple, Warren accused the company of placing conditions on competitors that make it harder for them to offer their own services, specifically referring to Apple Music. Apple ‘has placed conditions on its rivals that make it difficult for them to offer competitive streaming services,’ Warren said.”
Miller reports, “Apple has been embroiled in politics several times in recent weeks.”
Read more in the full article here.
“Spotify, which has complained about the fee Apple charges music services — and other services — that sign up subscribers using its iOS platform, was happy to comment,” Peter Kafka reports for Recode. “Here’s Jonathan Prince, who runs communications and public policy for the streaming music company: ‘Apple has long used its control of iOS to squash competition in music, driving up the prices of its competitors, inappropriately forbidding us from telling our customers about lower prices, and giving itself unfair advantages across its platform through everything from the lock screen to Siri. You know there’s something wrong when Apple makes more off a Spotify subscription than it does off an Apple Music subscription and doesn’t share any of that with the music industry. They want to have their cake and eat everyone else’s too.’
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: These are Apple’s platforms, built from the ground up. Apple owns them. Hence, Apple can charge what they like for the use of their App Store infrastructure.
Anyone who doesn’t like it, including Spotify or… oh, we don’t know, the developers of the “Make Me Indian” app 😉 can go to other smartphone platforms, including one with 82.6% market share as measured by units shipped which — drumroll, please — neatly negates any and all imperiously vapid claims of Apple having a “monopoly” in smartphones.
SEE ALSO:
Apple CEO Tim Cook has billions of reasons to raise money for the GOP – June 29, 2016
Apple’s politics may be hurting its brand – June 29, 2016
Nancy Pelosi blasts Apple CEO Tim Cook for hosting GOP fundraiser – June 28, 2016
Apple’s detestable moral hypocrisy – June 21, 2016
Apple CEO Cook to host Paul Ryan fundraiser as company tries to strengthen relationships with key Republicans – June 20, 2016
Cramer: Apple’s Tim Cook is ‘patriotic’ on taxes – December 21, 2015
Apple CEO Tim Cook is absolutely right – and wrong – on U.S. corporate tax policy – December 20, 2015
Apple CEO calls corporate tax rap ‘total political crap’ – December 18, 2015
Apple avoids $59.2 billion U.S. tax bill – October 7, 2015
U.S. companies now have $2.1 trillion overseas to avoid corporate taxes – March 4, 2015
Intel CFO: Obama repatriation tax proposal ‘lipstick on a pig’ – February 4, 2015
U.S. Congress, Obama take Apple CEO Cook’s advice, eye corporate tax changes – February 3, 2015
Obama targets foreign profits with tax proposal, Republicans skeptical – February 2, 2015
Senator Rand Paul finds Democratic partner for tax repatriation holiday – January 30, 2015
Businesses hopeful Republican control of U.S. Congress will break tax-reform gridlock – November 5, 2014
Not in Taxes anymore: On site at Apple’s famous Irish ‘headquarters’ – November 2, 2013
Regan: U.S. tax code spurs loveless foreign corporate ‘marriages’ – May 13, 2014
Ireland to close Apple’s tax loophole, but leave bigger one open – October 15, 2013
G20 think tank OECD proposes blueprint for global crackdown on tax avoidance – July 19, 2013
Thomas Sowell on Apple, corporate taxes, and ‘the road to serfdom’ – May 28, 2013
Taxing Apple just taxes you – May 24, 2013
Don’t tax Apple, tax its shareholders – May 24, 2013
If Apple paid more tax, we might pay less or something – May 22, 2013
Apple CEO Tim Cook pounds another nail into the Keynesian coffin – May 22, 2013
Apple CEO Cook makes no apology for company’s tax strategy – May 22, 2013
