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Comment by weddpros | Hacker News Reader

and they can, because there's not a single EU company with an app store to harm. App stores are designed for profit, not simply for our convenience.

Imagine a government forcing AirBnb to let people pay hand to hand to the owner of the apartment. It's the same issue, right?

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It more like if airbnb could somehow prevent competitors (say oxigenbnb) from reaching the internet.

If AirBnb and X capture market in an duopoly, maybe govt. will have to and should intervene.

One research firm says that Airbnb and Expedia (which owns Vrbo, Expedia.com, Hotels.com, and 5 other sites) control 93% of the online travel agency market. That looks like a duopoly to me.

https://www.earnestresearch.com/airbnb-1-among-otas-hotels/

They wouldn't need to, because guests and hosts are welcome to use other platforms that exist.

Android OR iOS is an exact duopoly.

Uber allows cash payments. Don't see why would it be a problem for Airbnb.

There is a big difference between computing devices and marketplace services.

Right, because GDPR was enacted not because it was a good idea, but rather because GDPR only harmed non-European companies.

Gdpr was a jobs program for European web devs :)

No it is not the same issue. Airbnb doesn't have a say if I make arrangements of my own with the host. We lose the benefits and security provided by airbnb if we think that airbnb's cut is unjustified.

I only wish we (users and devs) could do that on Ios.

Actually, Airbnb does have strict anti-steering rules just like Apple and Google do. Several lines from their off-platform policy:

> In order to protect our community and business, the following behaviors are prohibited:

> Taking people off of the Airbnb platform for new, partial, or future bookings

> Contacting potential guests prior to booking on Airbnb to move the booking off of Airbnb (ex: offering discounts to book off of Airbnb)

> Asking guests for contact information prior to booking; all guest communications prior to booking must be on Airbnb

> Asking for or using guests’ contact information to settle additional payments outside of Airbnb’s platform; all payments related to a guest’s stay, including extensions of a stay (and besides exceptions identified below), must go through Airbnb (ex: using the Resolution Center)

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2799/airbnbs-offplatform...

These rules are just as anti-competitive as the anti-steering rules in the Apple and Google app stores, and entrench Airbnb's market position.

I get that. But what will they do? I can still flout their rules. Problem with iOS is that I can't do what I want with the hardware I paid for.

Airbnb can ban you from their platform. This is more of a problem for hosts (since Airbnb dominates the "home-sharing" market) than for guests (who have plenty of hotel and vacation rental options).

As a host, even if airbnb bans me, I can still do whatever I want with my own property. That is not true when it comes to iPhone. I am out of luck as a user and also as a dev, my phone becomes a paperweight unless I abide by apple's rules.

I can switch to Vrbo or even just Craigslist.

I don't lose out on reaching ~100% of customers, because Apple and Google control access to effectively 100% of customers and act like a duopoly.

I'm pretty sure the "arrangements" you're talking about are against their TOS, except if they happen after your stay booked on AirBnB...

That's ok. Airbnb is free not to do business with me. But I am free to do whatever I want with my property as owner. That is not the case when dealing with Apple. They block usage of my own hardware.

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