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Great PR move by Hey. Not sure there's much more to it, tho. He's basically saying "yeah, we broke the rules - but they're doing it too!", just like a driver ca

Great PR move by Hey. Not sure there's much more to it, tho. He's basically saying "yeah, we broke the rules - but they're doing it too!", just like a driver caught speeding tries to point out that red Corvette that the cops didn't pull over 5 minutes ago.

socalnate1 6y ago
This is not even a remotely correct reading of what happened here.
tpetry 6y ago
They did not break any rules. Its perfectly valid to use an account with a subscription not created in an app (and no ability to do it).
- zaroth 6y ago
  Apple does have a rule about providing an in-app purchase option, although I believe they don’t require that be the only way to make the purchase. I think Apple tries to distinguish between apps that provide access to content which you subscribe to (so-called “Reader” apps) versus apps where the service is the app itself. If the service is the app itself, then they want all apps to be sold directly through the App Store. If the app is a Reader for a content subscription, then they allow selling the content subscription separately. I’m not sure it’s evenly enforced, but I think that’s their intent and stated policy which they are trying to enforce here.
jonny_eh 6y ago
What rule did they break?
- Traster 6y ago
  I mean, if you read the full tweet thread, it says they broke rule 3.1.1, and 3.1.3(b) > Apps that operate across multiple platforms may allow users to access content, subscriptions, or features they have acquired in your app on other platforms or your web site, including consumable items in multiplatform games, provided those items are also available as in-app purchases within the app. Basically Apple says if you're offering a multi-platform service - which this e-mail client clearly is - then you must provide the option to buy the service in the App using apple's in-app purchase system.
  - t-writescode 6y ago
    Why does my Kindle app work, then? Last I checked, I couldn't buy new Kindle books on my iPhone at all
    - topicseed 6y ago
      Because it's a Reader and in the same ToS, there's a caveat for "Readers".
      - brandon272 6y ago
        There’s myriad examples of non-reader subscription based apps where Apple allows the app in the App Store. Basecamp’s actual “Basecamp” app being one example!
benologist 6y ago
Apple are bullies. By submitting your app you accept to be bullied. By using their apps you accept to be bullied. By buying their hardware you accept to be bullied. The rule they are breaking is not accepting their bullying. That's why parents had to sue them to get refunds on fraudulent in-app purchases as children were scammed and manipulated into tapping buy buttons again and again. That's why Macbook Pro owners had to sue them again and again to address product defects. That's why they're being investigated in both the EU and US for abusing their platforms. They even officially had a rule for iOS developers that threatened against talking to the press. If you run to the press and trash us, it never helps. https://web.archive.org/web/20141226094343/https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/ https://web.archive.org/web/20141226094343/https://developer...
- rhencke 6y ago
  I thought you were paraphrasing, at first. I was surprised to find you were quoting it verbatim.
  - musicale 6y ago
    Probably worth reading the whole 2014 page in context, as well as the current (2020) version. https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/ https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/
- musicale 6y ago
  > By buying their hardware you accept to be bullied YMMV on that - personally, I've gotten pretty decent support for my Apple hardware. For example, in one case, they completely replaced a laptop that had gone out of repair support with a new model that was supported. I don't like the butterfly keyboard, but they replaced it twice and gave me a third-revision model that has worked fine since. In addition to macOS, I use Linux (in a VM) and Windows (both VM and native) on my Apple hardware, and they all work fine.
  - benologist 6y ago

socalnate1 6y ago

This is not even a remotely correct reading of what happened here.

tpetry 6y ago

They did not break any rules. Its perfectly valid to use an account with a subscription not created in an app (and no ability to do it).

zaroth 6y ago
Apple does have a rule about providing an in-app purchase option, although I believe they don’t require that be the only way to make the purchase. I think Apple tries to distinguish between apps that provide access to content which you subscribe to (so-called “Reader” apps) versus apps where the service is the app itself. If the service is the app itself, then they want all apps to be sold directly through the App Store. If the app is a Reader for a content subscription, then they allow selling the content subscription separately. I’m not sure it’s evenly enforced, but I think that’s their intent and stated policy which they are trying to enforce here.

jonny_eh 6y ago

What rule did they break?

Traster 6y ago
I mean, if you read the full tweet thread, it says they broke rule 3.1.1, and 3.1.3(b) > Apps that operate across multiple platforms may allow users to access content, subscriptions, or features they have acquired in your app on other platforms or your web site, including consumable items in multiplatform games, provided those items are also available as in-app purchases within the app. Basically Apple says if you're offering a multi-platform service - which this e-mail client clearly is - then you must provide the option to buy the service in the App using apple's in-app purchase system.
- t-writescode 6y ago
  Why does my Kindle app work, then? Last I checked, I couldn't buy new Kindle books on my iPhone at all
  - topicseed 6y ago
    Because it's a Reader and in the same ToS, there's a caveat for "Readers".
    - brandon272 6y ago
      There’s myriad examples of non-reader subscription based apps where Apple allows the app in the App Store. Basecamp’s actual “Basecamp” app being one example!

benologist 6y ago

Apple are bullies. By submitting your app you accept to be bullied. By using their apps you accept to be bullied. By buying their hardware you accept to be bullied. The rule they are breaking is not accepting their bullying. That's why parents had to sue them to get refunds on fraudulent in-app purchases as children were scammed and manipulated into tapping buy buttons again and again. That's why Macbook Pro owners had to sue them again and again to address product defects. That's why they're being investigated in both the EU and US for abusing their platforms. They even officially had a rule for iOS developers that threatened against talking to the press. If you run to the press and trash us, it never helps. https://web.archive.org/web/20141226094343/https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/ https://web.archive.org/web/20141226094343/https://developer...

rhencke 6y ago
I thought you were paraphrasing, at first. I was surprised to find you were quoting it verbatim.
- musicale 6y ago
  Probably worth reading the whole 2014 page in context, as well as the current (2020) version. https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/ https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/
musicale 6y ago
> By buying their hardware you accept to be bullied YMMV on that - personally, I've gotten pretty decent support for my Apple hardware. For example, in one case, they completely replaced a laptop that had gone out of repair support with a new model that was supported. I don't like the butterfly keyboard, but they replaced it twice and gave me a third-revision model that has worked fine since. In addition to macOS, I use Linux (in a VM) and Windows (both VM and native) on my Apple hardware, and they all work fine.
- benologist 6y ago