Re: [w3c/push-api] Non-Browser Vendor Supplied Push Server Support (#243)

Manu this is the letter I sent to the European Commission requesting intervention in the current anti-competitive push-service market: -

From: Richard's Hotmail 
Sent: Monday, July 18, 2016 7:54 PM
To: 'comp-greffe-antitrust@ec.europa.eu'
Subject: Re: Competition Case - 40099 Google Android

Further to the above case currently before the European Commission ( http://ec.europa.eu/competition/elojade/isef/case_details.cfm?proc_code=1_40099 ), I wish to bring to your attention to what, in my view, is potentially a far more egregious example of Google's abuse of market dominance in the Android market place.

Unlike the "search service" referenced in the original case before the Commission, my complaint deals with the deployment of Google's "push notification service" Google-Cloud-Messaging (GCM), or as it has recently been rebadged, Firebase-Cloud-Messaging (FCM).

Whereas a Search Service can be easily changed via a user-selectable browser Option, the choice of Push Service for all Android Chrome, Opera, and Samsung/Android browser users is mandated to be Google's GCM Push Service. This bundling of services is hidden from the users' view and incapable of modification on the 3 browsers mentioned. (For an example of a browser that does facilitate a choice of Push Service, please see Mozilla's Firefox. The Firefox Configuration Editor (about:config page) currently permits the user to select a different push service via the services.push.serverURL parameter)

With GCM's monopoly of exclusive deployment to the 3 most popular Android Web Browsers, access to the Push Service market is hindered for all other Push Service providers, especially if they do not also happen to be browser manufacturers. Thus they are excluded by Google from the opportunity of competing on price, service, or features.

Additional points of relevance: -
[1] The specifications dealing with plug-and-play standards for browsers and Push Notification Services are:
-- Client https://www.w3.org/TR/push-api/ 
-- Server https://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-ietf-webpush-protocol-07  
[2] Any interim opinion or decision from the Commission would be quite timely as Microsoft is currently implementing the Push API for its own Edge browser. As with Google's GCM on Android, Microsoft's Azure Notification Hubs should not be permitted to monopolize the Push Service market on Windows/Edge.
[3] I have no knowledge of any business relationships that Opera and/or Samsung have with Google regarding their deployment of GCM clients, or why Samsung have self-limited their Push Service target-market to "only for Samsung services (Samsung Apps, Samsung Link, Samsung Wallet, Samsung Pay, etc.)"
[4] Push Notification functionality, in its current form, is very new to the browser world but destined for ubiquitous HTML5 Web App deployment. We must ensure that competition can thrive.
[5] I do not envisage that Google wrote specific or individual GCM APIs for Samsung and Opera. Therefore I see no reason why this GCM API cannot be made available to Firefox users as well. As much as one Chrome user may choose to use Mozilla's Autopush Notification Service, another browser user may wish to use GCM for their Firefox notifications.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if should you require clarification of additional information.

Please also note that the above is purely my personal opinion. I trust you'll agree that it merits further investigation.

Regards,
Richard Maher

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https://github.com/w3c/push-api/issues/243#issuecomment-288594110