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There is lots of debate on here about whether or not Apple is right to remove these apps and whether, on balance, Apple should allow apps to use MDM/VPN feature
by asr 7y ago
There is lots of debate on here about whether or not Apple is right to remove these apps and whether, on balance, Apple should allow apps to use MDM/VPN features "for good" or whether Apple is right to lock down those features.
That debate is beside the point. Apple's timing makes a very strong circumstantial case that Apple is not removing these other apps because they suddenly care that the apps are violating their TOS. Apple is removing them now because Apple now offers a competing app. If Apple had never approved these apps in the first place, or removed them promptly over the years, nobody would have a problem.
Here's an analogy: suppose you live in a small town and the cops have set up a speed trap to catch tourists. They never ticket you because they know you are a local. Years pass, you have children, life is good. Then your daughter dumps her boyfriend, who happens to be the police chief's son. All of a sudden, the cops start ticketing you because "everybody needs to follow the law." Do you believe their explanation?
- benologist 7y agoApple's willfully dishonest about hardware issues so when yet another story lands of how they released an app and banned competing products the truth really isn't complex, this is a company prioritizing unethical, anti-consumer, anti-competitive behavior. Their official iOS developer guidelines even threatened developers for speaking to the press about these things... https://web.archive.org/web/20141226094343/https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/ https://web.archive.org/web/20141226094343/https://developer... If you run to the press and trash us, it never helps. 2008 - banned a podcasting app for competing with iTunes https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080915/0136292268.shtml https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080915/0136292268.shtml 2008 - rejected a mail client for competing with a mail client https://apple.slashdot.org/story/08/09/21/122225/Apple-Bans-iPhone-App-For-Competing-With-Mailapp https://apple.slashdot.org/story/08/09/21/122225/Apple-Bans-... 2008 - rejected Opera browser https://www.applegazette.com/iphone/apple-rejects-opera-browser/ https://www.applegazette.com/iphone/apple-rejects-opera-brow... 2009 - Apple rejected Google Voice https://daringfireball.net/2009/07/google_voice https://daringfireball.net/2009/07/google_voice 2011 - removed a game for criticizing the human/environmental costs of iPhones https://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/13/game-that-critiques-apple-vanishes-from-app-store/ https://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/13/game-that-critique... 2013 - removed a music store for competing with iTunes https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/oct/22/apple-hmvgroup https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/oct/22/apple-hmv... 2015 - Firefox finally gets approved by skinning Safari https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/11/firefox-finally-comes-to-ios/ https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/11/firef... 2016 - Apple refused Spotify's updates for having web-based subscriptions https://www.recode.net/2016/6/30/12067578/spotify-apple-app-store-rejection https://www.recode.net/2016/6/30/12067578/spotify-apple-app-... 2018 - rejected Steam's streaming client for competing with their app store games https://www.shacknews.com/article/105107/ios-steam-link-app-rejected-by-apple https://www.shacknews.com/article/105107/ios-steam-link-app-... 2018 - Apple stopped approving Telegram updates https://www.technadu.com/apple-rejected-all-telegram-updates-mid-april/29947/ https://www.technadu.com/apple-rejected-all-telegram-updates... 2019 - Spotify claims Apple are uncompetitive, surprising many https://www.idownloadblog.com/2019/03/14/spotify-sues-apple-app-store-fees/ https://www.idownloadblog.com/2019/03/14/spotify-sues-apple-...