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My impression is that the order of causality is the opposite. Google and similar companies are lobbying heavily for these industry codes so that app developers

My impression is that the order of causality is the opposite. Google and similar companies are lobbying heavily for these industry codes so that app developers have no choice but to introduce the restrictions which only allow you to operate via them.

shirro 1y ago
I think it is probably a bit of both. There are some compelling reasons to regulate tech companies for the benefit of society and I often have no issue with the intention. The problem is governments invite the industry to design the regulations and it quickly turns into regulatory capture. If vendors were to start locking out competition or further invade privacy it would upset government regulators but now they can point at another regulatory authority and claim they are forced to do these things to protect the kiddies.
Chris2048 1y ago
> developers have no choice but to introduce the restrictions which only allow you to operate via them ok, but what does that mean? Identification, and a fee for that service? Is this unreasonable?
- Aachen 1y ago
  What's the service when I've purchased a phone? If they were to require subscribing and paying a fee to use their required online service to be able to use the hardware, that sounds like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tying_(commerce) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tying_(commerce)
  - Chris2048 1y ago
    You're talking about a hypothetical situation where end users pay the app store directly, rather than indirectly via developer fees? Also, Tying is usually applied for unrelated, unnecessary, or non-beneficial services. It's not obvious to me that it applies here.
    - array_key_first 1y ago
      > You're talking about a hypothetical situation where end users pay the app store directly, rather than indirectly via developer fees? It doesn't matter much, you pay it regardless. > Also, Tying is usually applied for unrelated, unnecessary, or non-beneficial services. Yes, Apple and Google charge 30% for basically nothing. I know some people will complain about that. They will say, "no, they do stuff!" From what I've seen, they do as close to nothing as possible. Malware makes it through, deceptive apps make it through, nobody gives a single fuck. If you report anything to Apple they will spit in your face. They do not care. This is less of a service fee and more a of a mafioso "pay me, for your sake" type fee.
      - Chris2048 1y ago
        You are generalising - I didn't even mention Apple, and afaik small developers are charged 15% for using play store. I am talking only about this specific developer fee wrt registration and identification, not fees associated with using play store or otherwise. From what I can tell, it is a fixed, one-off $25 for an account, with a plan to have a free account option for "limited distribution" developers (hobbyists, students, families and small businesses fwict).
    - deleted 1y ago
      [deleted]
    - Aachen 1y ago
      I don't need to "buy" a third-party identification service when buying a phone from my favorite vendor. I can use F-Droid, download an APK from Codeberg or Microsoft, or run software that I've made myself What store fees should we be paying just to be able to run our own software, and friends' software, on our own hardware? I don't see a hypothetical here. It's how Android has always worked

shirro 1y ago

I think it is probably a bit of both. There are some compelling reasons to regulate tech companies for the benefit of society and I often have no issue with the intention. The problem is governments invite the industry to design the regulations and it quickly turns into regulatory capture. If vendors were to start locking out competition or further invade privacy it would upset government regulators but now they can point at another regulatory authority and claim they are forced to do these things to protect the kiddies.

Chris2048 1y ago

> developers have no choice but to introduce the restrictions which only allow you to operate via them ok, but what does that mean? Identification, and a fee for that service? Is this unreasonable?

Aachen 1y ago
What's the service when I've purchased a phone? If they were to require subscribing and paying a fee to use their required online service to be able to use the hardware, that sounds like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tying_(commerce) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tying_(commerce)
- Chris2048 1y ago
  You're talking about a hypothetical situation where end users pay the app store directly, rather than indirectly via developer fees? Also, Tying is usually applied for unrelated, unnecessary, or non-beneficial services. It's not obvious to me that it applies here.
  - array_key_first 1y ago
    > You're talking about a hypothetical situation where end users pay the app store directly, rather than indirectly via developer fees? It doesn't matter much, you pay it regardless. > Also, Tying is usually applied for unrelated, unnecessary, or non-beneficial services. Yes, Apple and Google charge 30% for basically nothing. I know some people will complain about that. They will say, "no, they do stuff!" From what I've seen, they do as close to nothing as possible. Malware makes it through, deceptive apps make it through, nobody gives a single fuck. If you report anything to Apple they will spit in your face. They do not care. This is less of a service fee and more a of a mafioso "pay me, for your sake" type fee.
    - Chris2048 1y ago
      You are generalising - I didn't even mention Apple, and afaik small developers are charged 15% for using play store. I am talking only about this specific developer fee wrt registration and identification, not fees associated with using play store or otherwise. From what I can tell, it is a fixed, one-off $25 for an account, with a plan to have a free account option for "limited distribution" developers (hobbyists, students, families and small businesses fwict).
  - deleted 1y ago
    [deleted]
  - Aachen 1y ago
    I don't need to "buy" a third-party identification service when buying a phone from my favorite vendor. I can use F-Droid, download an APK from Codeberg or Microsoft, or run software that I've made myself What store fees should we be paying just to be able to run our own software, and friends' software, on our own hardware? I don't see a hypothetical here. It's how Android has always worked