Modi government to set up app store alternative to Google Play, Apple App Store • Hacker News Board

Re: Modi government to set up app store alternative to Google Play, Apple App Store

#321

Post by fakedang » Sun, Oct 04, 2020, 6:10 AM UTC

jagannathtech wrote: post #314

fakedang wrote: post #202

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Haha no. The Indian government will have the best interests of the ruling party at heart. I'd rather trust Google with all of my data, even the sensitive bits, rather than give even an iota to the government. And yes, I know how disgusting that sounds. In the Delhi riots early this year, the government used data gathered from the national database to track and arrest protesters. Imagine what they could do if they cou…

Why you and your family are rioting?

I'll ask you the same question when the INC is the ruling party, if there's still a democracy to play around with at the time. It could be any party at the center - the result would be horrid.

Re: Modi government to set up app store alternative to Google Play, Apple App Store

#322

Post by _jgdh » Sun, Oct 04, 2020, 6:59 AM UTC

jagannathtech wrote: post #314

fakedang wrote: post #202

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Haha no. The Indian government will have the best interests of the ruling party at heart. I'd rather trust Google with all of my data, even the sensitive bits, rather than give even an iota to the government. And yes, I know how disgusting that sounds. In the Delhi riots early this year, the government used data gathered from the national database to track and arrest protesters. Imagine what they could do if they cou…

Why you and your family are rioting?

I flagged this comment for being obtuse and accusing a person of a crime when they just want privacy.

Nor can they use ignorance as an excuse - they're Indian.

Re: Modi government to set up app store alternative to Google Play, Apple App Store

#323

Post by airocker » Sun, Oct 04, 2020, 7:13 AM UTC

Barrin92 wrote: post #293

airocker wrote: post #249

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Privacy and Freedom are the same thing. If you dont have privacy, you cannot do anything as a group or individual that goes against anyone powerful. Freedom can also be thought of as sovereignty. I think if any government including USA has to be sovereign, it has to take privacy of citizens in its own hands. Democratic countries have to devise ways that this data cannot be used to influence elections. Otherwise, Keep…

>If you dont have privacy, you cannot do anything as a group or individual that goes against anyone powerful. Freedom can also be thought of as sovereignty. Seems like a pretty one-sided American cowboy version of freedom. More accurate take I think is that privacy is often a tool of the powerful stopping collective action of citizens. Finance, taxes, and payment compensation are a pretty trivial example. The rich an…

can you build a company if you were required to make all your future plans transparent to all competitors? Transparency and Privacy both have their place. Everyone should have privacy of information but the rules of privacy should be open to everyone.

Re: Modi government to set up app store alternative to Google Play, Apple App Store

#324

Post by puranjay » Sun, Oct 04, 2020, 7:34 AM UTC

fakedang wrote: post #202

paxys wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd like to think the Indian government will have the interests of its own citizens at heart better than Google or Apple. India has a long and not very pleasant history with foreign corporations.

Haha no. The Indian government will have the best interests of the ruling party at heart. I'd rather trust Google with all of my data, even the sensitive bits, rather than give even an iota to the government. And yes, I know how disgusting that sounds. In the Delhi riots early this year, the government used data gathered from the national database to track and arrest protesters. Imagine what they could do if they cou…

If you're a tech entrepreneur, this should worry you regardless. Any industry that the Indian government meddles in eventually gets regulated to death. You have to pay bribes for X or Y license or permission.

The tech industry thrived precisely because there is little regulation.

If your apps have to go through the Indian government to be published, be prepared to pay bribes to pass through the regulatory hurdles and needless paperwork.

No Indian government in my living memory has worked to reduce regulations and compliance, including the current one.

Re: Modi government to set up app store alternative to Google Play, Apple App Store

#325

Post by return1 » Sun, Oct 04, 2020, 8:08 AM UTC

whimsicalism wrote: post #136

return1 wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

True but apple sells luxury , or premium products. They don’t seem to care for poorer countries

Yes, but China only became rich enough that lots of wealthy young Chinese could be buying iPhones recently. I do not think it would be unreasonable to make the same bet on India being a decade or two behind.

Its not automatic. China took decades of policy and benefited from periods of global growth. India has different politics

Re: Modi government to set up app store alternative to Google Play, Apple App Store

#326

Post by econcon » Sun, Oct 04, 2020, 8:31 AM UTC

wtmt wrote: post #143

This is going to be a big mess. PayTM as a company isn’t known for respecting user privacy. The CEO’s brother was caught in a sting video saying they could sell any user’s information for a price (search online and you’ll find the video). All that these Indian startups care is for them to benefit and control everything. It’s not about equitable treatment. It’s more about regulatory capture and making sure that their…

Modi couldn't ban alibaba let alone Google play store.

India today has no eBay equivalent or even Alibaba or Taobao equivalent, without these I don't see b2b or even exports growing much.

eBay used to be the only way to find stuff like rare metal, or niche tools and spare parts.

Re: Modi government to set up app store alternative to Google Play, Apple App Store

#327

Post by sschueller » Sun, Oct 04, 2020, 9:45 AM UTC

actuator wrote: post #97

diego_moita wrote: post #56

I welcome this. It will be messy, it will open oportunities to corruption, lobbying, crappy user experiences, unsafe apps, government abuse, nationalism, ... it is really a Pandora box. But mess can be a fertile ground for competition and innovation when excessive regulation blocks it. Today's app stores are just feature development labs for Apple & Google. There is no chance that anyone will be able to create a big…

I am just puzzled about one bit of this, why the hue and cry few days back about this. Don't Android App stores like the Amazon one already exist? What's stopping these devs to even distribute the apps themselves? iOS is a different matter but Android has always allowed this. Not sure if they exist in India, but I have seen Android phones come with non Google App Store as well.

3rd party app stores that are not pre installed by the manufacturer are crippled and provide a bad user experience. Auto updates is also not possible.

Re: Modi government to set up app store alternative to Google Play, Apple App Store

#328

Post by LockAndLol » Sun, Oct 04, 2020, 11:18 AM UTC

Being surveiled by Google, Apple and Facebook (America), and soon in greater effect by the Indian state isn't exactly appealing, but at least it means competition I guess.

Honestly, what alternative exists? Corporations won't be OK with publishing on F-Droid, but is there some kind of opensource store that can be used for commercial apps? If some people put their heads together, maybe they could come up with something opensource that respects privacy, is secure and allows closed-source stuff to be published.

Re: Modi government to set up app store alternative to Google Play, Apple App Store

#329

Post by bilalhusain » Sun, Oct 04, 2020, 11:31 AM UTC

jagannathtech wrote: post #315

bilalhusain wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am talking about Justice Loya [1]. By the way, the govt has been very active in making sure that they have their loyal representatives in bureaucracy as well as in judiciary. Recently, the Supreme Court convicted a prominent lawyer for a tweet criticizing them [2]. It is very easy for them to dismiss cases which might show them in bad light. Media has no independence either. Eg. the case of Punya Prasun Bajpai [3]…

This is complete BS you are spreading here. Justice Loya family clarified in detail and his fraternity many of whom are left leaning also expressed concern that the opposition party is playing dirty politics and his death was natural. One of the Supreme Court justice was even by his bedside during his death. Entire Indian media should be blacked out if criticising Modi was the criteria. Because that's what they do da…

You are not too off from what has already been stated in the link, just that you cherry-picked it. Regarding criticism, Modi himself tweeted that "criticism makes democracy stronger"[1] so why should anyone get blacked out!

[1] https://twitter.com/pmoindia/status/986672508542824456

Re: Modi government to set up app store alternative to Google Play, Apple App Store

#330

Post by mensetmanusman » Sun, Oct 04, 2020, 11:47 AM UTC

Interesting.

Suppose Epic wins its case against Apple and judges force alternative app stores, I wonder if that would mean tmobile, at&t, et al. would all then be allowed to install their app store with adware into iPhones...