5 ms·

This seems like a case where Tim Apple needs to step in. 'Mobime' should be banned from the app store and Raivo reverted to a known good version. They have lite

This seems like a case where Tim Apple needs to step in. 'Mobime' should be banned from the app store and Raivo reverted to a known good version. They have literally shipped ransomware Otherwise what point is there in the apple walled garden and trying so hard to avoid sideloading (aka installing)?

lxgr 2y ago
It's almost as if the argument of app reviews being both necessary for and effective in increasing app safety was always just a fig leaf, and the real reason is maximizing Apple's "services" revenue.
- modeless 2y ago
  In this case the App Store is actively harming people by removing their ability to install updates themselves or even access the data files the app is storing on their own device.
  - dimask 2y ago
    You _can_ disable automatic updates and install updates manually. This is what I actually do, ironically for this very exact risk about the Raivo app. I like raivo, but since it was bought by this shady guy, I thought that by blocking automatic updates I could use the app without risk of some shady update coming. The only issue is that this is all or none; meaning that from time to time I have to go through my list of apps and manually tap on the upgrade button. So glad for that decision now.
    - modeless 2y ago
      "Install updates manually" isn't a very good description of your options here. You can take or leave the updates they choose for you. You have zero ability to inspect or audit said updates, or choose different updates yourself, or go back to previous updates. Rejecting updates may very well leave you exposed to security vulnerabilities and there's nothing you can do about it other than accept the updates or delete the app. And if you want the data stored in the app, you have no option to retrieve it other than what the app developer provides, because Apple prevents you from reading the data stored on "your" phone in any other way.
devilkin 2y ago
Apple has a contract with their developers that probably prohibits just rolling back to an old version. As long as the app works, does not violate the AppStore terms and is intended as per the developer, who is Apple to say what they do with it? I'm not saying that this is should not be handled, but .. I don't see many good outcomes here.
- rocketvole 2y ago
  I think It has violated app store procedure? The app was under and open source license before, and now it is not, and users were not notified. I think complaining to apple would be a good move?
  - dimask 2y ago
    Only that the app was never really under open source license, at least not since 2019. It used to be under CC BY-NC 4.0 but then it changed to a "source available" type of status [0], where any modification, redistribution etc was prohibited. The previous author explained "Unfortunately I had to apply these restrictions in the license, as people started to redistribute my app to the appstore" [1]. I do not judge the fact of stopping open sourcing it, but he did not stop advertising it as "open source". Even now, that the source code is not even available any more, its website calls it "open source" [2]. [0] https://github.com/raivo-otp/ios-application/commit/03791edd7cfed216f6fe44edb643e955ce01416b#diff-4673a3aba01813b595de187a7a6e9e63a3491d55821606fecd9f13a10c188a1d https://github.com/raivo-otp/ios-application/commit/03791edd... [1] https://opensource.stackexchange.com/a/13801 https://opensource.stackexchange.com/a/13801 [2] https://raivo-otp.com/ https://raivo-otp.com/

lxgr 2y ago

It's almost as if the argument of app reviews being both necessary for and effective in increasing app safety was always just a fig leaf, and the real reason is maximizing Apple's "services" revenue.

modeless 2y ago
In this case the App Store is actively harming people by removing their ability to install updates themselves or even access the data files the app is storing on their own device.
- dimask 2y ago
  You _can_ disable automatic updates and install updates manually. This is what I actually do, ironically for this very exact risk about the Raivo app. I like raivo, but since it was bought by this shady guy, I thought that by blocking automatic updates I could use the app without risk of some shady update coming. The only issue is that this is all or none; meaning that from time to time I have to go through my list of apps and manually tap on the upgrade button. So glad for that decision now.
  - modeless 2y ago
    "Install updates manually" isn't a very good description of your options here. You can take or leave the updates they choose for you. You have zero ability to inspect or audit said updates, or choose different updates yourself, or go back to previous updates. Rejecting updates may very well leave you exposed to security vulnerabilities and there's nothing you can do about it other than accept the updates or delete the app. And if you want the data stored in the app, you have no option to retrieve it other than what the app developer provides, because Apple prevents you from reading the data stored on "your" phone in any other way.

devilkin 2y ago

Apple has a contract with their developers that probably prohibits just rolling back to an old version. As long as the app works, does not violate the AppStore terms and is intended as per the developer, who is Apple to say what they do with it? I'm not saying that this is should not be handled, but .. I don't see many good outcomes here.

rocketvole 2y ago
I think It has violated app store procedure? The app was under and open source license before, and now it is not, and users were not notified. I think complaining to apple would be a good move?
- dimask 2y ago
  Only that the app was never really under open source license, at least not since 2019. It used to be under CC BY-NC 4.0 but then it changed to a "source available" type of status [0], where any modification, redistribution etc was prohibited. The previous author explained "Unfortunately I had to apply these restrictions in the license, as people started to redistribute my app to the appstore" [1]. I do not judge the fact of stopping open sourcing it, but he did not stop advertising it as "open source". Even now, that the source code is not even available any more, its website calls it "open source" [2]. [0] https://github.com/raivo-otp/ios-application/commit/03791edd7cfed216f6fe44edb643e955ce01416b#diff-4673a3aba01813b595de187a7a6e9e63a3491d55821606fecd9f13a10c188a1d https://github.com/raivo-otp/ios-application/commit/03791edd... [1] https://opensource.stackexchange.com/a/13801 https://opensource.stackexchange.com/a/13801 [2] https://raivo-otp.com/ https://raivo-otp.com/