Oh look, cracking down on Big Tech works. Brave, Firefox, Vivaldi surge on iOS
- Reference: 1710404893
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2024/03/14/brave_mozilla_europe_ios/
- Source link:
It's an early sign that Europe's competition rules may actually … get this … enhance competition – an outcome that [1]skeptics [2]deemed unlikely .
The DMA applies to a set of six technology giants that have been designated as "gatekeepers" in order to limit their tendency to boost the usage of their own offerings – such as their own browsers, webmail, and marketplaces – to the detriment of rivals, which are pushed out of the way.
[3]
This walloping of competitors, which slashes choice and innovation, is usually achieved through default settings, contractual requirements, and other mechanisms that favor the big players over smaller upstarts. Apple and Google, as two of those gatekeeper firms, must now under Euro law make concessions to competitors to avoid further harm.
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As a direct result of Europe's DMA, Apple [6]announced plans to implement a browser choice screen on iOS devices in January.
[7]For Google , the DMA compliance means a browser choice screen and search choice screen on Android smartphones and tablets during device setup, as well as a search choice screen for its Chrome browser on non-Android platforms.
[8]
Choice screens can be an effective way to reduce market dominance. For example: in 2010, when Microsoft was required to provide a browser choice screen in Windows in Europe, Opera [9]reported that its download numbers had doubled.
In 2019, Margrethe Vestager, then European commissioner for competition, defended the value of choice screens, which Google [10]was implementing to comply with [11]a 2018 EU competition ruling .
"We've seen in the past that a choice screen can be an effective way to promote user choice," [12]observed Vestager following the EU's third antitrust fine against Google. "In the Google Android case, it has the potential to give users a real choice about what search provider and browser they want on Android devices. This would also allow Google's rivals to be chosen upfront by users in cases where Google has been pre-installed on a phone."
[13]
Yet the auction-based choice mechanism Google rolled out that year didn't work well, and Google ended up [14]changing it in 2021.
[15]No App Store needed: Apple caves, will allow sideloading in EU
[16]Apple may have made itself a target before the EU's Digital Markets Act comes into force
[17]The DMA hasn't changed Big Tech's anticompetitive DNA, says Free Software Foundation Europe
[18]Google dresses up services for the EU's Digital Markets Act
Three years on, efforts to create a level playing field for platform gatekeepers and smaller rivals continue – possibly with some progress.
Brave's figures suggest the number of daily browser installs jumped from around 8,000 on March 6, 2024 to around 11,000 a week later. And in a social media post, the developer [19]cited those results as evidence that Apple and Google have made it hard to switch default browsers specifically to block competition.
"Monopoly defenders argue that the monopolies simply offer better products," Brave declared. "But as you can see, when consumers get a clear choice of iOS browsers, they're choosing alternatives to Safari. Maybe that's why Google still hasn't implemented a browser choice screen on Android."
Google in January [20]said it would offer search engine and browser choice screens per the DMA's requirements "on or after March 6, 2024." The search biz did not immediately respond to a request to provide an update on its choice screen rollout, which will only be offered on a subset of Android devices in the EU.
When consumers get a clear choice of iOS browsers, they're choosing alternatives to Safari
Brendan Eich, CEO and co-founder of [21]Brave Software , told The Register in an email that Brave for iOS is presently based on WebKit (per Apple's historic requirement), but his outfit is looking into the possibility of developing a Chromium-based version of Brave for iOS now that Apple has opened the door – at least on paper – to [22]non-WebKit browsers on iOS in Europe.
For most of us, Apple requires browsers on iOS to use Cupertino's WebKit engine – Europe has strong-armed the iGiant into [23]ditching that stipulation in its region.
"If Google does the upstream iOS work and shares it via Chromium/Blink open source, this opens up more options," according to Eich. "If Apple forbids using this alternative engine outside of Europe, however, the cost of supporting two engines may be prohibitive."
"Brave is about putting the users first in all ways, including default browser choices they may not know they can make," Eich added. "We're thrilled to see that users in Europe are now given the option to choose their default browsers on iOS and we hope to see things evolve on Android, as well as in other regions of the world."
[24]Mozilla also has seen increased interest in Firefox as a result of the DMA choice screen for iOS devices.
"The monopolistic practices employed by Big Tech have often hindered Firefox's ability to innovate and offer users competitive alternatives," a Moz spokesperson told The Register . "It is no small feat for us to cut through their tricky tactics to keep consumers locked within their own ecosystems.
"Despite less than ideal compliance, the recent implementation of the DMA choice screen is a promising step toward true competition online in the EU, which is why we're not surprised to have seen a more than 50 percent increase in Firefox user growth in Germany and close to 30 percent increase in France just since its implementation. Still, there is a lot of room for improvement, and we'll continue to fight for a web that puts people over profits, prioritizes privacy and is open and accessible to all."
It is no small feat for us to cut through their tricky tactics to keep consumers locked within their own ecosystems
Asked about the status of a Gecko-based Firefox for iOS, now that Apple has technically opened the door to using browser engines other than Safari's WebKit, Mozilla's spokesperson pointed to a prior statement about the limitations of Apple's concessions.
"We are still reviewing the technical details but are extremely disappointed with Apple's proposed plan to restrict the newly-announced BrowserEngineKit to EU-specific apps," Mozilla's spokesperson lamented. "The effect of this would be to force an independent browser like Firefox to build and maintain two separate browser implementations – a burden Apple itself will not have to bear.
"Apple's proposals fail to give consumers viable choices by making it as painful as possible for others to provide competitive alternatives to Safari. This is another example of Apple creating barriers to prevent true browser competition on iOS."
Jon von Tetzchner, CEO of browser maker [25]Vivaldi , told The Register in a phone interview that while the European Commission's intervention has been helpful, the results have been modest – and he expects further pressure will need to be applied to gatekeepers.
"We've seen a change, but we haven't seen a massive change," he remarked. "We are seeing a choice screen that is problematic in very many ways. And one of the ways that is problematic, for example for us, is that we are in eight countries out of 26 and they're excluding countries like Norway and Iceland, which are kind of part of the extended European kind of area."
Von Tetzchner criticized the way the browser choice screen has been implemented, noting that the user has to first click on Safari before being presented with the choice screen that provides non-Safari options. He also observed that if a user has gone ahead and chosen a default browser that's not listed on Apple's choice screen, when iOS next presents the choice screen, it won't include the user's already designated browser.
He expects Apple will be asked to make further accommodations, based on the fact that it has already had to backtrack several times.
"The point of all of this is to create competition," noted von Tetzchner. "The point of this is there are certain companies that are gatekeepers that cannot control access to other applications with which they compete. And the point is to create a level playing ground. I think it's very clear that there isn't a level playing ground with this."
Von Tetzchner told us he hasn't seen Google's choice screen, because it hasn't debuted yet.
"I've been told by Google that it's something that they came to an agreement about with the European Commission and the fact that I got that from Google is one of the differences that we see with different organizations here. We actually have a contact at Google. They have a contact with Microsoft and we've still not managed to get any contact at Apple, which is rather special."
According to von Tetzchner, Cupertino has been telling the European Commission that no one will talk to Apple, when it's the opposite situation.
"We've been trying really hard to get hold of anyone at Apple who will talk to us," he said. "And that's not happening. And again, I'm hearing the same from the other browser makers."
We're told that Apple, Google, and Microsoft all have meetings scheduled with EU regulators in the next two weeks. ®
Get our [26]Tech Resources
[1] https://hardcoresoftware.learningbyshipping.com/p/215-building-under-regulation
[2] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2024-03-11/apple-s-iphone-choice-screen-unlikely-to-achieve-eu-competition-goal
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/applications&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ZfLYx0-sXZ8HhC9tuKCnegAAAZA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/applications&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZfLYx0-sXZ8HhC9tuKCnegAAAZA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/applications&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZfLYx0-sXZ8HhC9tuKCnegAAAZA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2024/01/apple-announces-changes-to-ios-safari-and-the-app-store-in-the-european-union/
[7] https://www.android.com/choicescreen/dma/
[8] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/applications&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZfLYx0-sXZ8HhC9tuKCnegAAAZA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[9] https://press.opera.com/2010/03/18/opera-more-than-doubles-download-numbers-in-europe-after-choice-screen-introduction/
[10] https://blog.google/around-the-globe/google-europe/presenting-search-app-and-browser-options-android-users-europe/
[11] https://blog.google/around-the-globe/google-europe/complying-ecs-android-decision/
[12] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/STATEMENT_19_1774
[13] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/applications&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZfLYx0-sXZ8HhC9tuKCnegAAAZA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[14] https://blog.google/around-the-globe/google-europe/changes-android-choice-screen-europe/
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/12/apple_update_eu_devs_can_distribute_from_websites/
[16] https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/07/apple_eu_dma_target/
[17] https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/07/the_dma_is_not_enough/
[18] https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/06/google_dma_europe/
[19] https://x.com/brave/status/1767643225773215918
[20] https://www.android.com/choicescreen/dma/
[21] https://brave.com/
[22] https://www.theregister.com/2024/01/25/apple_eu_dma/
[23] https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/06/ios_17_4_eu_compliance/
[24] https://www.mozilla.org
[25] https://vivaldi.com/
[26] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Maybe in the US where there are no laws to prevent that. But the ability to choose your browser on Apple devices only applies to the EU, where we have not only protections to prevent that kind of abuse but also enforcement.
I did wonder about this. The only competition will be between different implementations of the Chromium browser engine.
Help us, Obi Firefox, you're our only hope.
"make their websites dependant on Google's proprietary features"
Qui bono?
Somewhere along the line, web devs seem to have forgotten what they're doing all this dev for. When I taught web development (admittedly many years back) the first thing I said to the class was " remember, you're not developing this site for your client -- you're developing it for your client's customers. If you forget that and limit access by your design your client will lose business ". That followed directly from the principle of client agnosticism enunciated by Tim Berners-Lee on 'day one' of the web. Now, unless you're using the recommended browser (brand and often even version) you're locked out of many sites, so they do indeed lose business.
Re: "make their websites dependant on Google's proprietary features"
Yup. If a site fails to load because of either my use of Firefox or my ad blocking, then I just leave. Their loss.
Re: "make their websites dependant on Google's proprietary features"
Yup. If a site fails to load because of either my use of Firefox or my ad blocking, then I just leave. Their loss.
Unfortunately, you and I aren't the majority. When the user is faced with a pop-up saying "Hey, this works best in Chrome", a lot of them go and install Chrome - we know this, because it's exactly what's happened on desktop over the past 15 years. Ironically, iOS - through Apple's anti-competitive practices - did actually end up promoting web standards by requiring devs to think about "A N Other" browser that wasn't Chrome. Yes, it was webkit, but the fact it nudged devs back towards some sort of compliance with open standards also helped Firefox/Gecko.
We've already seen the way in which Google can dominate web standards - QUIC and HTTP/3 was a fait accompli because when Google made the unilateral decision to deploy it in Chrome and on Google/YouTube/GMail/etc, it basically said "Everyone else needs to be vaguely capable of playing nicely with this".
Now that Google is no longer beholden to the whims of Webkit, we can expect to see them wander off into a new era of ActiveX-alike functions pushed to Chrome. Not overnight, but eventually.
And "then I just leave" is not always so simple. What happens when your bank decides to use something Chrome-only for their online banking? Sure, you can shout and scream and (eventually) move to a new bank. But on that day , you're probably stuck installing Chrome so you can get the thing done that needs doing...
Re: "make their websites dependant on Google's proprietary features"
When I was taught web design, the web was a much simpler place, but we were taught to code and test our sites on as many browsers as possible. We were taught to minimise the use of plugins as much as possible.
I don't design websites much in my day to day life, but when I do, I still test those sites on as many browsers, and as many platforms as I can. The experience for the user should be the same whatever browser or platform they are using. Practical considerations such as screen size aside..
Re: "make their websites dependant on Google's proprietary features"
One of my biggest complaints is when a website doesn't work, the answer I get from the company is, without exception, "just use Chrome". In other words, "just be like me". They use Chrome, therefore you use Chrome too. They have powerful computers that can easily handle javascript from 1001 different places, therefore you have a powerful computer too. They have ultra-fast internet, therefore you obtain and afford fast internet too. They understand how to use the web site, therefore you do too.
None of these new developers seem to understand that there are people out there who are different than them. If it works for them, they don't care about the people for whom it does not work for or the people who don't understand it. This goes beyond websites too ... I'm looking at you Microsoft.
Anything from Google is banned
in my home.
If you visit and want to search on Google then fire up your VPN otherwise... tough.
If chrome becomes the only browser engine then all the attack vectors will be targetted against it and only it. That is bad news from a security POV.
Re: Anything from Google is banned
Last sentence deserves an upvote. The rest is kind of annoying and almost deserves a downvote (in reality, I'd like to block all of Google myself, but it's a good way to irritate your friends – personally, I have an isolated guest network anyway, so why not set different rules if you must?). These cancelled each other out, so I didn't click either.
Re: fire up your VPN
I put all of my guests on a WiFi access point which routes everything through a VPN. They get to use whatever rubbish they like (including Google) and I get to hear their complaints about all of the captchas whenever they do.
The opposite. Now they'll have to think more about the likes of Firefox on iOS, too.
now that web devs no longer need to make their websites work on Safari
There are still places outside the EU (marked with Here Be Dragons on maps) where Safari's engine is the only engine allowed.
Back in the day Firefox was my browser of choice, as an experiment, I went back to Firefox for a month, sadly, now uninstalled and back to Edge. It just didn't work as well as Edge and the design was clunky and slow, maybe I long for the old Firefox days when the design was simplistic/usable and its performance was equal or better to the others and of course plugins for everything the user wanted.
Use a mixture
I use FireFox for general browsing.
Chrome for development work where I don't want script/privacy blockers causing problems.
Edge for anything MS related (Azure/Office), just to keep it separate.
Only plugin I can't get for Firefox is the ad skipper for Amazon/ITV videos.
Contrarian view
I have it opposite, I run mostly everything in Firefox, which means it is open all the time (with UBO) .
When I fire up Edge it feels sloooow ..
No Chrome here.
Opera?
>>> in 2010, when Microsoft was required to provide a browser choice screen in Windows in Europe, Opera reported that its download numbers had doubled.
That ended well then - what's Opera's percentage share now?
Re: Opera?
They dropped the ball when they gutted features with the transition to Chromium.
Soon only Chrome will remain, now that web devs no longer need to make their websites work on Safari they can completely abandon web standards and make their websites dependant on Google's proprietary features.