Tile was one of four companies who testified before a US Congress subcommittee in Colorado. The US authorities they are investigating many technology companies with possible anti-competitive practices, including Amazon, Google and Apple. In a recent case, the accessories company that makes up the lost items has raised three complaints. Specifically, in the background notification system used by iOS 13 users, Search my app and other Apple products have not yet been launched.
A tire as opposed to iOS 13, I searched for it & # 39; AleTags & # 39;
Tile came into office in 2012, selling accessories that work in conjunction with the app on iOS and Android. From Reuters they reported the calendar of their relationship with Apple as follows:
- In 2015, Apple begins selling Tile products in its virtual stores.
- In 2018, Tile managed to showcase his expertise at the WWDC 2018, where he announced support for Siri.
- In April 2019, Apple's efforts around other "AirTags" are being finalized.
- In June 2019, Apple will stop selling Tile in its stores.
For accessories company, uninvited product launch It is an anti-competitive threat. Although it is strange to sue the company for something that it did not and did not do. Where the basis for claiming is in the way local permissions work in iOS 13.
With this version of the software, third-party applications should ask users for permission to use the device's location. The user can choose between "never", "and", "while using the app". If you want to give permission to be able to use it regularly, you must change it in settings and you will receive a reminder from time to time of places you've been sharing with developers.
It is a function designed to inform users being done with something as critical as our environment. The standard that many have seen with a good eye and has been built within the new push for user privacy on iOS 13.
In addition, Tile has also secured the Find My app. But this app has been running on iOS since 2010, when it was announced with iOS 4 under the name Search for my iPhone. With iOS 13 they get along a lot Search my iPhone as friends in one app, which we currently have under the name Find My.
Apple's response to Tile's "conflict."
Apple creates its own hardware-level system, software and applications to protect user privacy and provide the best and most environmentally friendly products in the world. Apple does not build its business model around customer location information or location of its device.
When a new device is created, users can activate Location Service to help find a lost or lost device through Find My, an app that users have used since 2010. Customers control their location information, including Location of your device. If the user does not want to enable these functions, there is a clear and simple option where they can choose exactly which local service they want to be enabled or disabled.
As for third-party apps, we created the App Store with two goals in mind: it was a safe and reliable place where customers could find and download apps and a great business opportunity for all developers. We continue to work with developers and take their feedback on how we can protect user privacy while providing developers with the tools needed to create the best possible app experience.
We are currently working with developers who are interested in activating the feature Always allow (background) that allows it to be used at the time when the next software update is launched.
This has always been the official answer from Apple to Tile to worry. As it seems to them, in the upcoming update to iOS 13 we should have the opportunity to use the space in the background always on third-party applications, from the app itself and without having to go to settings.
Allegations of fraud against integrated business models have returned
In recent months, in conjunction with a lawsuit filed by a senior civil suit, one of them is meet direct business models. According to this argument, these types of integrated strategies threaten competition because they do not offer the same opportunities as their products. Last October we saw some of the allegations made by Nasay Patel, editor-in-chief of The Verge, related to this.
Or in fact Patel talking about the benefit that Apple offers itself when it comes to company devices. Automatic configuration, sync with iCloud and all user devices. What is really in the spotlight is Apple's merger with its business, seen by a legal reporter as a ruse.
As we have seen at the time, business models are integrated or dry it has always been. And they have always been legal. Yes, Apple can make a change to fix that, but as John Gruber said:
There is no reason for a third-party product to integrate with iOS as Apple's product can. It's like when rival smartphone makers complain that Apple Watch integration with the iPhone is wrong. The same is true for AirPods. To some extent, this is is not good, but what is the alternative?
You ask Apple (and any major platform) to hold hands and feet when it comes to making new integrated products, or you ask it to provide third-party access to the operating system of your mobile platform, nightmare of Privacy and security
2020 will be the year in which we see how it grows and, perhaps, ends this anti-mass movement. Both in the US and Europe. As Gruber points out, there are better and worse arguments to blame In large companies. This is not one of them.
