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?
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
My guess is that their claim is that it now can’t.