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Apple blocks Google from running its internal iOS apps

theverge.com

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Re: Apple blocks Google from running its internal iOS apps

#71

Post by foobiekr »

arduinomancer wrote: post #50

I don't get how everyone working on these apps thought there would be no issues doing this. "Yup, getting consumers to bypass the app store and side-load our app is perfectly reasonable, no issues here. No way this could possibly backfire." Only thing I could see is the PM's didn't actually understand what the enterprise certificate program was supposed to be for.

Given the common appraisal of the competence of both Facebook and Google, it is difficult to believe they just didn't understand things.

Re: Apple blocks Google from running its internal iOS apps

#72

Post by jasonvorhe »

iamleppert wrote: post #45

A real show of power would be Apple disabling all of Facebook and Google's public apps, and then bricking all of Facebook and Google's employees' phones.

And lose a couple of million in annual sales, for a cute little PR stunt, that would send ripples through trust in their ecosystem?

Re: Apple blocks Google from running its internal iOS apps

#74

Post by gorkish »

What I want to know is why these companies are using the same cert to sign apps with widely differing uses and security profiles. It seems to me that they should have a number of enterprise signing certs for each use case such as internal beta, external beta, internal utility, external utility, whatever.

If the companies are signing all of their apps under the same cert then it's kind of on them for being stupid to sign critical internal apps with the same cert they use to sign these privacy violating apps; but if Apple is globally disabling all enterprise distribution certificates under the guise that the companies violated their developer agreements and NOT disabling their user-facing apps then it still seems to me they are engaging in selective enforcement.

Regardless of how I feel about the ethical questions involved, I don't think this skirmish will end well.

Re: Apple blocks Google from running its internal iOS apps

#75

Post by [deleted] »

izacus wrote: post #63
untog wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On what basis? They clearly violated the rules.

"The rules" were not given by God, government or the people. The rules were written by the same company that enforces them and Google, Facebook or anyone else can make the same type of "Rules".

[deleted]

Re: Apple blocks Google from running its internal iOS apps

#76

Post by hinkley »

dewey wrote: post #38
rising-sky wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Similar concerns. I think this might, in the long term, be detrimental to Apple if companies begin to revolt against their overarching, seemingly totalitarian power regardless of if the intent is noble. As mentioned in a separate Verge article- "One giant platform declared another giant platform’s market research program inappropriate, then disappeared it with a Thanos-style finger snap" also from same article, attri…

Don’t quote text with code blocks please, it’s unreadable on mobile.

I'm on a 1080p display and it's still unreadable because you get arbitrary scrollbars that have nothing to do with browser width.

Re: Apple blocks Google from running its internal iOS apps

#77

Post by ancorevard »

Got to give Apple credit for staying consistent.

One thing is to break the rules Apple put down to keep iOS users safe and secure which is what Apple is targeting here, but another thing is just being stupid and unethical.

Regardless of their (FB+G) cries of "they consented to it", who really thinks a 13 year old understand the technical implications of installing a root certificate on their iPhone?

Re: Apple blocks Google from running its internal iOS apps

#78

Post by foobiekr »

izacus wrote: post #63
untog wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On what basis? They clearly violated the rules.

"The rules" were not given by God, government or the people. The rules were written by the same company that enforces them and Google, Facebook or anyone else can make the same type of "Rules".

Who should write the rules for the Iphone platform in your view?

Re: Apple blocks Google from running its internal iOS apps

#79

Post by gojomo »

Still, no story or commenter is quoting the exact terms that Facebook/Google are alleged to have violated. (There's an attempt here – https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19044643 – but without necessary definitions of key terms which would make all the difference.)

Of course, Apple has immense discretion here. Even if FB/Google lawyers can make a good case that their usage was technically compliant, Apple can still just unilaterally change the terms in short order. Public & regulatory sentiment would support them.

But I'd really like to know if Facebook's and Google's actions were plausibly compliant, under the actual language of the Enterprise agreement, at the time Facebook and Google (and likely others) pursued this strategy.

Re: Apple blocks Google from running its internal iOS apps

#80

Post by samstave »

dombili wrote: post #4

I don't want to pass judgment on whether Google (or in the previous case, Facebook) was in the wrong, but it doesn't sit well with me that Apple wields so much power on what software their phones can run after it sells them. You may very well think that they're using their power sparingly and benevolently, but who is to say that will be the case next time around?

You know the SuperbOwl is this weekend:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIE-5hg7FoA

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