+++
title = "Yey EU"
author = ["Michał Sapka"]
date = 2024-06-26T22:10:00+02:00
categories = ["blog"]
draft = false
weight = 2001
abstract = "EU is picking up the slack since US is not doing their job"
+++

I may have been a Randroid in the past, but I grew out of it.
No amount of Galts can stop us from huge monopolies.
In the past, US govt was capable of putting AT&T in its place, and giving the world [Unix](https://michal.sapka.me/unix-history/02_unix/) as a result.
Now?
Not so much.
Too much lovemaking between big business and the regulators makes it impossible for any _meaningful_ actions to be taken.

Luckily, the European Union is picking up the slack.
Apple is on trial for App Store policies and Microsoft for bundling Teams with office.
At least for now.

For me, this doesn't go anywhere near where it should, as I don't think allowing Apple to even _compete_ with 3rd party developers is a level playing field.
You should not run the market you are competing on.
This could lead to one party getting all the sales data and copying the competition offering.
Oh wait, Apple and Amazon are already doing it.

But just as me and most folks around see those moves of EU as an absolute win, many Americans see it differently.
Some of them see it as an attack on America, since Europe doesn't have big players.
Yes, most of the companies named Gatekeepers are American players.
Nowhere else, the market is corrupt enough for such behemoths to emerge.

But I also see a cultural clash.
US and Europe use different law approaches.
While Americans expect a clearly defined borders of accepted behavior (letter of the law), we in EU expect a more general ruling allowing the regulators to act in the changing market (spirit of the law).
And that's where the dog is buried: US makes it easier for companies to proceed, EU puts citizens up front.
It's much easier to bypass the legal limitations if there's a bullet point list.
But companies are not humans, they _should never have it easier than your typical Joe_.
I much prefer the _spirit_ approach, since it defines the goal and not the method.

I can't wait to see the fines, but not because _screw you Tim Apple_.
We're living in a cyberpunk dystopia, and I want to see it reversed.
No company should be benevolent dictator for life, hindering competition by _owning_ the field.

I'd love to see FAANG broken up into smaller companies, just like we've seen with Microsoft.
It didn't last long, but it was enough for the Internet to flourish.