I think Apple's action here provides a good case for breaking up platforms. If the App Store were decoupled from the main hardware-making and hardware-selling part of Apple, then there wouldn't be a conflict of interest between providing a neutral app-selling platform and retaining access to foreign markets.
What platform is big enough to break up the big platforms?
Apple Removes HKmap.live from the App Store
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Re: Apple Removes HKmap.live from the App Store
#182Meanwhile, remind me, how do we feel about gun sales in the US? If Target takes a rifle off their shelves, will we exorcise Target? Thought experiment.
Is it really about the huge principle difference between apps and guns? Or are we just generating principle-excuses to agree with our side?
Re: Apple Removes HKmap.live from the App Store
#183From NBC News reporter @DylanByers on Twitter: “We created the App Store to be a safe and trusted place to discover apps. We have learned that an app, HKmap.live, has been used in ways that endanger law enforcement and residents in Hong Kong. Many concerned customers in Hong Kong have contacted us about this app and we immediately began investigating it. The app displays police locations and we have verified with the…
This rationale focuses on how the app has been used , rather than what it does , which could apply equally well to any text messaging or web browser app that is used illegally. Imagine if this said: > We have learned that an app, iMessage, has been used in ways that endanger law enforcement and residents in Hong Kong. Many concerned customers in Hong Kong have contacted us about this app and we immediately began inve…
Re: Apple Removes HKmap.live from the App Store
#184Re: Apple Removes HKmap.live from the App Store
#185Okay so we all hate this “censorship.” How can they punish all app users for the potential wrongdoing of a few? Meanwhile, remind me, how do we feel about gun sales in the US? If Target takes a rifle off their shelves, will we exorcise Target? Thought experiment. Is it really about the huge principle difference between apps and guns? Or are we just generating principle-excuses to agree with our side?
Re: Apple Removes HKmap.live from the App Store
#186Re: Apple Removes HKmap.live from the App Store
#187Can't they just use the website anyway? https://hkmap.live/# Or is that blocked in China too? Does the great firewall affect HK as well?
Re: Apple Removes HKmap.live from the App Store
#188I think Apple's action here provides a good case for breaking up platforms. If the App Store were decoupled from the main hardware-making and hardware-selling part of Apple, then there wouldn't be a conflict of interest between providing a neutral app-selling platform and retaining access to foreign markets.
I don't think I see how merely separating the App Store from the hardware division provides that benefit, unless you're meaning something different than the way I'm reading it (that is, just making the App Store the responsibility of a separate App Store Company but changing nothing else). Allowing iOS to sideload apps would be a more direct cure for this, because Apple's decisions about what belongs in the App Store…
If you look at Google right now, their Play Store still has the app available, mostly I believe, because the CCP has little or no leverage over Google to force their hand.
I do agree, tho that allowing side loading apps would also sidestep this issue altogether.
Re: Apple Removes HKmap.live from the App Store
#189Okay so we all hate this “censorship.” How can they punish all app users for the potential wrongdoing of a few? Meanwhile, remind me, how do we feel about gun sales in the US? If Target takes a rifle off their shelves, will we exorcise Target? Thought experiment. Is it really about the huge principle difference between apps and guns? Or are we just generating principle-excuses to agree with our side?
So, you have DRMed hands and only Target can sell guns that can be held by those hands? Is that the analogy that you were building there?