I really don't think I am. The USB standard itself is a great example of just how non-standard, non interoperable and messy standards can get. Another great example of garbage standards is the W3C where, as long as you pay your million dollar membership fee, anything can become a standard.

In my experience governments both before and after the 90s always leaned towards one extreme and every time they ask for "independent input" those who are end up advising are anything but objective in their assessment and advice. I know politicians don't decide these things themselves, nor did I claim they do, but in this case there is a clear anti-Apple drive behind it all. One could argue Apple deserves it given just how anadromous of a tech company it has always been, but that's exactly the point of the article - we want Apple to be anadromous company it is. We pay them to be, so in light of that it's very worrying that the EU seeks to intervene.