Apple has removed us from the App Store • Hacker News Board

Re: Apple has removed us from the App Store

#131

Post by SQL2219 » Sat, Nov 10, 2018, 3:10 PM UTC

Baqend - CEO Felix Gessert:

“Our take is that, eventually, all native apps will disappear and be replaced by web-based tools. This trend is just getting started and it might well be that, in a few years, there won’t be any app stores and we’ll be back to how it’s supposed to be in the first place: open web applications.

Now there are these gatekeepers, such as Apple, who have a hold over how the technology works and how the marketing channels work, but once we are back to some sort of open Web, other players such as startups will get fair chances and space to grow.”

https://thenextweb.com/entrepreneur/2018/11/06/8-tech-predic...

Re: Apple has removed us from the App Store

#132

Post by consultutah » Sat, Nov 10, 2018, 3:34 PM UTC

SQL2219 wrote: post #129

It seems to me that you can't build a viable business and be so vulnerable. Apple or Google can pull your plug anytime they see fit, for any reason they want.

RescueTime was originally a desktop app and works really well there. I can see why they’d want to work on mobile as well. Hell, I’ll bet customers requested it, but you can never forget whose garden you are playing in.

Re: Apple has removed us from the App Store

#133

Post by lazerwalker » Sat, Nov 10, 2018, 3:39 PM UTC

ryanwaggoner wrote: post #117

amelius wrote: post #112

Just remember that being an iOS/AppStore developer is a lot like being a driver for Uber. Your rights are close to zero.

That’s a lazy comparison. The only meaningful choice you have with Uber is when to drive. A better comparison would be a general contractor in your city. You can build for yourself, for others on spec, custom per customer, tract homes, etc. The rules for where and how you can build are clearly laid out in advance in the building code. You’ll need inspections and sign-offs from the building dept that you’re following…

I don't know why you're getting so heavily downvoted.

The only subtle tweak I'd make to your comparison is that Apple's rules are not clearly laid out in advance. In this specific case, Apple had previously approved the same app for literally years, without a change in the relevant rule they claim to now be enforcing. That same rule Apple claims they're now in violation of is intentionally vague — it sort of hand-waves away what behaviors Apple wants to allow or disallow location tracking for, giving editors lots of leeway to turn a blind eye or not.

Re: Apple has removed us from the App Store

#134

Post by coldtea » Sat, Nov 10, 2018, 3:49 PM UTC

syshum wrote: post #84

CharlesW wrote: post #6

> Critically, using the persistent location API also allows us to use an acknowledged acceptable way to capture when our users have active screen time. They're admitting to using background location to infer screen time, which is clearly "misuse" according to section 2.5.4. Whether the decision is right or wrong, I find it hard to believe that the developer is actually confused by this.

Once Again, Apple telling users how they are allowed to use the devices they supposedly bought not rented from apple...

Nope, we, the users, by buying these devices, tell the developers of apps that they should comply with the platform we use.

Re: Apple has removed us from the App Store

#135

Post by kevsim » Sat, Nov 10, 2018, 4:47 PM UTC

Can someone explain how this worked in the first place? I’m missing how enabling location services helps them gather info on screen time spent

Re: Apple has removed us from the App Store

#136

Post by anoncake » Sat, Nov 10, 2018, 4:54 PM UTC

akmiller wrote: post #52

lostmsu wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It should be if there are 3 grocery stores in the country, and your bread can't be sold by other 2. This is a great case to be a precedent.

Really only 2 grocery stores in the world! The other stores are rare places that not many visit.

In fact, it's just one grocery store, and it owns the country. You're "free" to use any other store, you just have to emigrate first.

Re: Apple has removed us from the App Store

#137

Post by detaro » Sat, Nov 10, 2018, 4:55 PM UTC

kevsim wrote: post #135

Can someone explain how this worked in the first place? I’m missing how enabling location services helps them gather info on screen time spent

I'd guess the location tracking means their app is waken up regularly to process location data. During that awake period, they can then check the screen status, while otherwise the app would stay suspended and unable to record this?

Re: Apple has removed us from the App Store

#138

Post by anoncake » Sat, Nov 10, 2018, 4:59 PM UTC

ryanwaggoner wrote: post #121

danmg wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

100% of that market. The apple app market is not the same as the android app market. They're not in competition with each other. Owners are captive.

Sorry, but this is completely ridiculous. You can slice and dice any market down enough to where one company is a “monopoly”. They’re the only taco store on this block! I demand the government force them to lower their prices so I don’t have to walk more than 50 feet! If you don’t like it, switch to Android. But of course, the real problem is that people don’t want to switch to Android. They want to have their cake a…

Maybe the government should something about the fact that said taco store controls all real estate within the city and does not allow anyone else to sell food.

Re: Apple has removed us from the App Store

#139

Post by leereeves » Sat, Nov 10, 2018, 5:00 PM UTC

aaaaaaaaaab wrote: post #127

You were misusing background location updates to periodically run your app in the background. I bet you were also misusing some keychain API or similar, to determine whether the device is locked or not, because there’s no official API for that either. You were misusing multiple APIs and hoped that the reviewers won’t notice. Facebook used to play silent audio in the background to prevent their app from being suspende…

I haven't used this app, but it sounds like people who installed the app knew about those features and wanted them.

If Apple is preventing developers from providing useful apps for arbitrary technical reasons, that's Apple being bad, not the developer.

That's different from uninstall tracking that surprises users in a bad way.

Re: Apple has removed us from the App Store

#140

Post by scarface74 » Sat, Nov 10, 2018, 5:01 PM UTC

anoncake wrote: post #138

ryanwaggoner wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sorry, but this is completely ridiculous. You can slice and dice any market down enough to where one company is a “monopoly”. They’re the only taco store on this block! I demand the government force them to lower their prices so I don’t have to walk more than 50 feet! If you don’t like it, switch to Android. But of course, the real problem is that people don’t want to switch to Android. They want to have their cake a…

Maybe the government should something about the fact that said taco store controls all real estate within the city and does not allow anyone else to sell food.

Apple doesn’t control the entire smart phone market. Anyone who can get an iPhone can get Android. Hell, for the price of an iPhone you can get two decent Android phones.