3 ms·

Why wouldn’t making a paid web browser be legal?

danpalmer 6mo ago
Obviously it isn't, but also obviously: this isn't a web browser in anything but technical implementation. It's a packaged, sold, interface to a proprietary service with a set of T&Cs that they are free to enforce. Also every single one of these that I've seen before has fallen down in the same way. Chat apps that embed Facebook, third party YouTube viewer for Apple's VR headset, various other third party Instagram apps, etc.
Gigachad 6mo ago
Even if it is legal, meta and google will just block you from accessing the service.
- nslsm 6mo ago
  How?
  - iugtmkbdfil834 6mo ago
    Like most things.. it is a cat and mouse game dependent on how heavily they believe their revenue could be impacted. I am not sure why you think either of those corporates would have a problem of banning individual users, who are only suspected based on the app signature..
    - vakrdotme 6mo ago
      I agree on this, cat and mouse game
  - danpalmer 6mo ago
    I can't tell if this is a good faith question, but in the interests of good discussion, there are many ways they can do this. Technical solutions include blocking the user agent, blocking request patterns, client-side feature detection, client-side attestation, but importantly they are not limited to technical solutions, there are also things like cease and desist letters, breaches of contracts, pressure on the software distributors, lawsuits. This is no judgement of whether these are the steps they might take, or whether they would be right in doing so, I want to remain neutral on this. But I would point again to the many instances of things like this happening in the past.
    - nslsm 6mo ago
      Personally I think the technical solutions are unrealistic, given this is nothing but a safari wrapper. Legal methods may be more successful.
  - duskdozer 6mo ago
    Detect usage patterns of normal users vs these, and then block access. Ultimately comes down to the companies' ability to throw however many devs at thwarting this one as makes sense for them. Just as an example I remember, Facebook sponsored posts would be labeled, but if you dug into the HTML, what you'd get was random permutations or junk added to the label, like SSpoSnoSsorReD or something, and they'd use complicated overlays or other things to get the label to be visible. So you wouldn't just be able to use a simple easy rule.
    - kasparnoor 6mo ago
      There is a reason why Meta does not block ad blockers. It's costlier for them to lose users, even if they don't earn ad revenue off them.

Obviously it isn't, but also obviously: this isn't a web browser in anything but technical implementation. It's a packaged, sold, interface to a proprietary service with a set of T&Cs that they are free to enforce. Also every single one of these that I've seen before has fallen down in the same way. Chat apps that embed Facebook, third party YouTube viewer for Apple's VR headset, various other third party Instagram apps, etc.

Gigachad 6mo ago

Even if it is legal, meta and google will just block you from accessing the service.

nslsm 6mo ago
How?
- iugtmkbdfil834 6mo ago
  Like most things.. it is a cat and mouse game dependent on how heavily they believe their revenue could be impacted. I am not sure why you think either of those corporates would have a problem of banning individual users, who are only suspected based on the app signature..
  - vakrdotme 6mo ago
    I agree on this, cat and mouse game
- danpalmer 6mo ago
  I can't tell if this is a good faith question, but in the interests of good discussion, there are many ways they can do this. Technical solutions include blocking the user agent, blocking request patterns, client-side feature detection, client-side attestation, but importantly they are not limited to technical solutions, there are also things like cease and desist letters, breaches of contracts, pressure on the software distributors, lawsuits. This is no judgement of whether these are the steps they might take, or whether they would be right in doing so, I want to remain neutral on this. But I would point again to the many instances of things like this happening in the past.
  - nslsm 6mo ago
    Personally I think the technical solutions are unrealistic, given this is nothing but a safari wrapper. Legal methods may be more successful.
- duskdozer 6mo ago
  Detect usage patterns of normal users vs these, and then block access. Ultimately comes down to the companies' ability to throw however many devs at thwarting this one as makes sense for them. Just as an example I remember, Facebook sponsored posts would be labeled, but if you dug into the HTML, what you'd get was random permutations or junk added to the label, like SSpoSnoSsorReD or something, and they'd use complicated overlays or other things to get the label to be visible. So you wouldn't just be able to use a simple easy rule.
  - kasparnoor 6mo ago
    There is a reason why Meta does not block ad blockers. It's costlier for them to lose users, even if they don't earn ad revenue off them.