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Blackberry CEO: Net Neutrality Means Mandating Cross-Platform Apps

Posted by timothy on from the fantasy-world-of-atlas-shrugged dept.

DW100 writes In a bizarre public blog post the CEO of BlackBerry, John Chen, has claimed that net neutrality laws should include forcing app developers to make their services available on all operating systems. Chen even goes as far as citing Apple's iMessage tool as a service that should be made available for BlackBerry, because at present the lack of an iMessage BlackBerry app is holding the firm back. Some excerpts from Chen's plea: Netflix, which has forcefully advocated carrier neutrality, has discriminated against BlackBerry customers by refusing to make its streaming movie service available to them. Many other applications providers similarly offer service only to iPhone and Android users. ... Neutrality must be mandated at the application and content layer if we truly want a free, open and non-discriminatory internet. All wireless broadband customers must have the ability to access any lawful applications and content they choose, and applications/content providers must be prohibited from discriminating based on the customer’s mobile operating system. Since "content providers" are writing code they think makes sense for one reason or another (expected returns financial or psychic), a mandate to write more code seems like a good way to re-learn why contract law frowns on specific performance.

6 of 307 comments (clear)

  1. Hmm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I would comment about that but, to abide by his thinking, I would have to respond in every language on the planet so that I don't discriminate against non-english speakers...

  2. Pot, meet kettle by Neil_Brown · · Score: 5, Funny

    From BlackBerry's BBM page:

    BBM Video is currently only available for BlackBerry 10 smartphones. Version 1 of BBM for Windows Phone does not support BBM Voice, BBM Channels, Stickers, or location sharing powered by Glympse.

  3. Re:Bye_bye, Blackberry by monkeyzoo · · Score: 5, Funny

    The lack of Minesweeper for Mac was what always kept me on Windows all these years. ;-)

  4. Re:Please develop for my dying platform! by slashdice · · Score: 3, Funny

    Yo dawg, I heard you liked rumors so I made another rumor about your rumor.

    --
    Copyright (c) 1990 - 2014 Dice. All rights reserved. Use of this comment is subject to certain Terms and Conditions.
  5. When did Bennett Haselton by AdamStarks · · Score: 5, Funny

    become the CEO of Blackberry?

  6. Re:Please develop for my dying platform! by Austerity+Empowers · · Score: 3, Funny

    That makes him an idiot.

    That is the pejoritive term for CEO.