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Can Apple really enforce what goes on in an app? Probably only by rejecting it from the app store, but that's risky on Apple's part and would cause a lot of use

Can Apple really enforce what goes on in an app? Probably only by rejecting it from the app store, but that's risky on Apple's part and would cause a lot of user complaints.

Cthulhu_ 4y ago
To a point; they control all the interfaces, which is why an app like Facebook cannot access your photos, location or address book without your explicit permission. And Apple has gone for the nuclear option of removing apps from the store; not long ago they booted Fortnite, one of the big earners (billions in revenue of which Apple got a percentage through their commissions), after they added a means to circumvent the app store fees, starting a long proceeding into getting it lowered or dismissed entirely - partially successful in specific jurisdictions.
ben7799 4y ago
Apple should change the rules to reject apps that try to open links in an in-app browser instead of sending the user to Safari. Maybe as a workaround let Meta put up their own browser on the app store and make it possible for a user to choose to let let the FB app send links to the Meta browser for someone who really wants this behavior. But don't allow the FB app to do this with no way for the user to stop it. Chrome for iOS seems to exist for exactly the same reason, to provide a way for google to track users.
- collaborative 4y ago
  Very hard to implement. Many apps use web views for core functions. These shouldn't spawn full Safari
- nocsi 4y ago
  Facebook would just argue user experience - which is true, users do prefer to stay in the app. Users don’t really understand this behavior, however. I’m sure there have been users that have opened links in FB, then decided to go log into their bank on the same session. If apple were to address this, they might end up monitoring the inapp browser and prompting for the user to hop out into safari depending on the url. As of now, apps like FB discourage reopening sessions in safari. The worst ones are like LinkedIn which requires like 2-3 key presses to reopen in safari. It’s clear these apps have an incentive in keeping users within the inapp browser

Can Apple really enforce what goes on in an app? Probably only by rejecting it from the app store, but that's risky on Apple's part and would cause a lot of user complaints.

Cthulhu_ 4y ago

To a point; they control all the interfaces, which is why an app like Facebook cannot access your photos, location or address book without your explicit permission. And Apple has gone for the nuclear option of removing apps from the store; not long ago they booted Fortnite, one of the big earners (billions in revenue of which Apple got a percentage through their commissions), after they added a means to circumvent the app store fees, starting a long proceeding into getting it lowered or dismissed entirely - partially successful in specific jurisdictions.

ben7799 4y ago

Apple should change the rules to reject apps that try to open links in an in-app browser instead of sending the user to Safari. Maybe as a workaround let Meta put up their own browser on the app store and make it possible for a user to choose to let let the FB app send links to the Meta browser for someone who really wants this behavior. But don't allow the FB app to do this with no way for the user to stop it. Chrome for iOS seems to exist for exactly the same reason, to provide a way for google to track users.

collaborative 4y ago
Very hard to implement. Many apps use web views for core functions. These shouldn't spawn full Safari
nocsi 4y ago
Facebook would just argue user experience - which is true, users do prefer to stay in the app. Users don’t really understand this behavior, however. I’m sure there have been users that have opened links in FB, then decided to go log into their bank on the same session. If apple were to address this, they might end up monitoring the inapp browser and prompting for the user to hop out into safari depending on the url. As of now, apps like FB discourage reopening sessions in safari. The worst ones are like LinkedIn which requires like 2-3 key presses to reopen in safari. It’s clear these apps have an incentive in keeping users within the inapp browser