EU Designates Tech ‘Gatekeepers’; App Store Launching on VisionOS; Xbox Dashboard Update-Game Streaming to Discord Friends; New Cars = Data Privacy Nightmare

he European Union Commission has shared a list of the 22 ‘Core Platform Services’ that must comply with the Digital Markets Act. DMA restricts companies from mandating their own services as default on their devices and enforces interoperability between apps such as messaging applications. The regulations passed through the European Parliament last year and have technically been in effect since May, though without the crucial “gatekeeper” designations. According to gizmodo.com, platforms named include TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube; app stores like Google Play, Apple App Store, and Meta Marketplace; browsers that include Chrome and Safari; and the major operating systems including Android, iOS, and Windows. Google came out worst of all the Gatekeepers, with most of its major services, including its bread and butter Google Search, making the list. Apple and Microsoft have already appealed to the EU Commission to exclude some of their products. Apple claims iMessage isn’t a gatekeeper. Microsoft is fighting the naming of Bing as a core platform. Stay tuned…this will be a long and complicated slog as all the companies try to weasel out of the gatekeeper designation.

Not quite a week out from Apple’s unveil day for the new iPhones and Watches, Cupertino announced that starting this fall, visionOS will include the App Store built-in, allowing developers to expand their testing of Vision Pro apps. 9to5mac.com notes that at WWDC, Apple claimed that Vision Pro will be able to run ‘nearly all iPhone and iPad’ apps that are presently in the App Store. Developers will also be able to build and optimize apps specifically for Vision Pro and the VisionOS. VisionOS doesn’t have the App Store yet, and remains in developer beta for now. 

Microsoft is putting out a September update that includes the ability to stream your Xbox gameplay to Discord friends and variable refresh rate (VRR) improvements for the Xbox Series S / X consoles. The dashboard update also includes the new Xbox voice reporting feature and a new way to pair accessories to Xbox consoles. Theverge.com says that the updated Discord functionality means you can now stream your gameplay to anyone on Discord. It’s built into the Parties & Chats section of the dashboard, and a new “stream your game” option now appears once you’re connected to a Discord server.

Mozilla’s ‘Privacy Not Included’ Project has determined that 25 brands of cars with internet connectivity flunked the most basic privacy and security standards. Gizmodo.com reports that the failing brands included BMW, Ford, Toyota, Tesla, and Subaru. Those cars collect data about drivers including race, facial expressions, weight, health information, and where you drive. Some of the cars tested collected data you wouldn’t expect your car to know about, including details about sexual activity, race, and immigration status, according to Mozilla. Actually Mozilla said the very worst offender was Nissan. The carmaker’s privacy policy suggests the manufacturer collects information including sexual activity, health diagnosis data, and genetic data, though there’s no details about how exactly that data is gathered. Nissan reserves the right to share and sell “preferences, characteristics, psychological trends, predispositions, behavior, attitudes, intelligence, abilities, and aptitudes” to data brokers, law enforcement, and other third parties. Even usually solid Mercedes-Benz didn’t get off the hook…they ship with TikTok pre-installed in the infotainment system. We have moved from ‘let the buyer beware’ to add ‘let the driver beware!’

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.