One simple rule or law could fix this: Every hardware manufacturer that ships an OS must allow the installation of an alternative OS from any third party, with the same access to the hardware as the original OS and all the necessary technical documentation. If the original OS can be updated over the air, users must also be able to install alternative operating systems over the air. This would result in real competition across all our devices: iPhones, smart fridges, John Deere tractors, and so on. And it would force manufacturers to focus on building better products instead of using anticompetitive practices to squeeze more money out of their locked-in customers.

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otterley 12 hours ago | parent | next [-]

"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong." - H.L. Mencken

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embedding-shape 14 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

> One simple rule or law could fix this [...]

What's absolute simplest and most realistic way of actually going from this proposal here, into actually driving it into being a real, actual law? Would it require demonstrations? Simply gathering signatures?

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benoau 12 hours ago | parent | next [-]

There is no simple path.

There have been multiple attempts to legislate a subset of what the parent poster is asking, and they have been met with a torrent of lobbying by the entrenched tech giants. Most recently California's BASED Act, the App Store Freedom Act last year, the American Innovation and Choice Online Act some years ago. If your state and federal legislators can't enact change what hope does anyone else have?

Even the places that have successfully legislated this are struggling with enforcement - EU is dealing with extreme and prolonged compliance issues three years into enactment, Japan's FTC is having to form a new bureau just to police Google and Apple's malicious compliance.

	▲	embedding-shape 3 hours ago \| parent [-]
		> There is no simple path. As with most broad societal things, I don't think anyone thinks so either. There is for sure a "simplest way" of doing it though, question is what that is. > Even the places that have successfully legislated this are struggling with enforcement - EU is dealing with extreme and prolonged compliance issues three years into enactment Huh? The EU does not mandate countries to implement laws around "OS must allow the installation of an alternative OS from any third party", I'd be very aware of such a law if it existed I feel like. Are you talking about some future regulation they're discussing or something?

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thfuran 14 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

In the US, I think it would require a revolution at this point. In the EU it might be viable.