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Oh devs would absolutely avoid distributing through the App Store if they want to run any code that would fail App Store Review, such as the abuse of private lo

Oh devs would absolutely avoid distributing through the App Store if they want to run any code that would fail App Store Review, such as the abuse of private low-level APIs to gather more user data than the app needs, which all businesses have a profit incentive to do. There are many other possible scenarios: devs forcing users to authenticate with unsecure methods, gather and unsecurely store credit card information, gather passwords, upload contacts, read SMSes, etc. The value that a third-party dev can derive from private user info is far greater than alternately offering a different version of the app that will pass App Store reviews.

ivan_gammel 1y ago
Distribution via alternative stores does not mean there’s no review and moderation. Junk stores may have their fans, but competitive alternatives to App Store will inevitably introduce some controls to maintain reputation and remain compliant. Their advantage will be price, not presence of junk apps. That’s how free market with consumer protection laws works: regulation defines parameters of new equilibrium and eventually all start playing by the same rules to the benefit of the consumer.
- fauigerzigerk 1y ago
  Price wouldn't be the only point of differentiation though. Say Google were to bring the Play Store to iOS. Apple's App Store allows users to opt out of tracking. The Play Store does not. Wouldn't all apps that use an advertising based business model automatically gravitate towards the Play Store? If the goal is to make Apple open up their platform in a way that doesn't take away choices from users, we need a set of rules to guarantee that. Otherwise I agree with rTX5CMRXIfFG. Facebook and Google would find ways to gradually make the App Store more and more unattractive until that choice no longer exists. There would be billions of dollars worth of incentives.
  - ivan_gammel 1y ago
    >Apple's App Store allows users to opt out of tracking. The Play Store does not. In EU the only legal way to do tracking is opt in, so this is a matter of law enforcement and not a long term competitive advantage. The weakness of regulation is a problem of American users, which they can solve by voting for politicians who support better consumer protection. Of course they may choose otherwise and choose instead a quasi-monopoly of more expensive walled gardens. After all, America is democracy, isn’t it? :)
    - fauigerzigerk 1y ago
      >In EU the only legal way to do tracking is opt in EU newspapers routinely make users choose between accepting tracking and buying a subscription. Apple does not allow that. Anyway, what the EU does is sort of beside the point as the App Store issue is global and lawsuit that Proton joined was filed in California.

ivan_gammel 1y ago

Distribution via alternative stores does not mean there’s no review and moderation. Junk stores may have their fans, but competitive alternatives to App Store will inevitably introduce some controls to maintain reputation and remain compliant. Their advantage will be price, not presence of junk apps. That’s how free market with consumer protection laws works: regulation defines parameters of new equilibrium and eventually all start playing by the same rules to the benefit of the consumer.

fauigerzigerk 1y ago
Price wouldn't be the only point of differentiation though. Say Google were to bring the Play Store to iOS. Apple's App Store allows users to opt out of tracking. The Play Store does not. Wouldn't all apps that use an advertising based business model automatically gravitate towards the Play Store? If the goal is to make Apple open up their platform in a way that doesn't take away choices from users, we need a set of rules to guarantee that. Otherwise I agree with rTX5CMRXIfFG. Facebook and Google would find ways to gradually make the App Store more and more unattractive until that choice no longer exists. There would be billions of dollars worth of incentives.
- ivan_gammel 1y ago
  >Apple's App Store allows users to opt out of tracking. The Play Store does not. In EU the only legal way to do tracking is opt in, so this is a matter of law enforcement and not a long term competitive advantage. The weakness of regulation is a problem of American users, which they can solve by voting for politicians who support better consumer protection. Of course they may choose otherwise and choose instead a quasi-monopoly of more expensive walled gardens. After all, America is democracy, isn’t it? :)
  - fauigerzigerk 1y ago
    >In EU the only legal way to do tracking is opt in EU newspapers routinely make users choose between accepting tracking and buying a subscription. Apple does not allow that. Anyway, what the EU does is sort of beside the point as the App Store issue is global and lawsuit that Proton joined was filed in California.