Doesn't matter. Antitrust laws address competition, monopoly is just a subset. The Apple App Store is an 800lb Gorilla is the app space, ergo, subject to pro-competition laws. The app developer can't sell his app on iPhones via another channel, iPhones make up a substantial part of the market, and that's why those laws exist and apply in this case.
> "While the Court finds that Apple enjoys considerable market share of over 55% and extraordinarily high profit margins, these factors alone do not show antitrust conduct," Gonzalez Rogers said. "The Court does not find that it is impossible; only that Epic Games failed in its burden to demonstrate Apple is an illegal monopolist."
And if you haven’t been paying attention - government lawyers haven’t been doing too great lately making cases against BigTech.
Yet, HN posters are sure that Apple is a monopoly. Did their high price lawyers miss something that HN posters found?
And that if we want new laws, to be e.g. about "each platform must be open to third parties" regardless of market share, we need to push for them and get them, not abuse antitrust laws for something they weren't meant to cover.
Quite frankly I find it ridiculous people here are even suggesting this.
I find it ridiculous that we allow a private company to act as regulator over any sector of the economy, let alone one they have over 50% market share in.
If you feel that way then there are countries with economic models that don’t allow this. Venezuela comes to mind. Maybe you should relocate there so you can experience the outcome of heavy handed government control.
Do you believe that competitive markets are good? The App Store isn't one, I'm advocating for more competition, more trade and prosperity.
Except, you’re not? Nobody has a gun to your head forcing you to use an iPhone. There are other options instead of crying on the internet about how bad Apple is.