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Google is removing third-party apps and clock faces from all Fitbit watches in the EU (9to5google.com)

submitted 8 months ago by [email protected] to c/technology

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[–] [email protected] 81 points 8 months ago (3 children)

So, they comply with the DMA... by only offering their own apps? Isn't that the opposite of what the DMA is supposed to do?

[–] [email protected] 74 points 8 months ago

Google removes the "market" so they don't have to be forced to compete with it.

[–] [email protected] 44 points 8 months ago (1 children)

The article doesn't really explain it, but assume this is because you can't use 3rd party app stores on Fitbit devices? So to avoid opening to competition, they're removing anything that could be interpreted as a store?

[–] [email protected] 29 points 8 months ago (2 children)

That feels like a major oversight from the EU. Users should be able to sideload whatever the fuck they want. Can it run apps as a separate package? Yes? The user should be able to install their own without restrictions.

[–] abhibeckert 29 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

I don’t think it’s an oversight at all. The rule is Google can’t do anything on the platform that the competition is blocked from doing.

If there is no store, then google has no advantage.

As for removing features from a product - that’s a different issue entirely and I expect compensation will be in order. Refunds for anyone who bought a Fitbit for example.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Can it run apps as a separate package?

My guess is that their claim is that it now can't.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

By making it not install apps at all, even from them, it becomes the same as a toaster or microwave, for which nobody expects to be able to install third party apps because these are not devices that have a concept of "installing apps". Now they can claim these devices also don't have any concept of installing apps.