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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 floofloof@lemmy.ca to c/technology@lemmy.world

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[–] Max_P@lemmy.max-p.me 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?

[–] Rentlar@lemmy.ca 74 points 8 months ago

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

[–] n2burns@lemmy.ca 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?

[–] Max_P@lemmy.max-p.me 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@lemmy.world 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.

[–] dev_null@lemmy.ml 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.

[–] dev_null@lemmy.ml 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.