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ProtonMail CEO calls Apple's forced in-app purchases 'Mafia extortion'

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Re: ProtonMail CEO calls Apple's forced in-app purchases 'Mafia extortion'

#251

Post by pier25 »

rgbrenner wrote: post #66

In August Wordpress complained about the same thing... and Apple apologized and changed the policy: https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/22/21397424/apple-wordpress-... Protonmail brings up a 2018 incident that has already been addressed by the new policy. What point does this article serve? I think it's just free and easy publicity for ProtonMail. If they had spoken up earlier, maybe they could have been the reason for c…

> maybe they could have been the reason for change instead of WordPress

I seriously doubt Apple would have listened to ProtonMail. Look what happened to HEY.

Re: ProtonMail CEO calls Apple's forced in-app purchases 'Mafia extortion'

#252

Post by dingaling »

d1zzy wrote: post #183
traveler01 wrote: post #36

Well, true that's kinda how Mafia works.

Except the Mafia hasn't built from scratch the neighborhood it asks "protection money" from, it already existed there and they pushed out anyone able to stand up to them and started enforcing their rules over the people already living there. Also comparing an organization that terrorizes, mauls and murders people in real life living in their home neighborhood to a company that imposes strict rules to ensure they get…

Well one could say that all those mafiosi keep the opportunistic criminals out of the neighborhood and make it safe for the law-abiding businessman and resident.

So in essence yes, they built the society by providing a predictable and stable order. Follow the rules and you'll be fine and will be safe from arbitrary crime. A form of societal curation, one might say.

And they need paid to keep maintaining this service, and 30% doesn't seem too high does it? For the benefits they provide? Just don't try to fiddle your accounts to hide any other income you have, or try any other tricks; you might find your contract terminated.

Re: ProtonMail CEO calls Apple's forced in-app purchases 'Mafia extortion'

#253

Post by baq »

gowld wrote: post #108
r00fus wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Blame the "no regulation" crowd for that. Well functioning regulation and consumer protection is what promotes good things by forcing bad actors to get in line.

There's no guarantee that regulation is good regulation.

And there is no guarantee that bad regulation is worse than no regulation.

Re: ProtonMail CEO calls Apple's forced in-app purchases 'Mafia extortion'

#254

Post by viktorcode »

birdyrooster wrote: post #6

How can one be forced to include in app purchases? This seems worded strangely. Maybe I missed the paragraph explaining how Apple did this.

One can’t, and wasn’t.

If you read carefully, you may reconstruct the actual issue and the store policy:

Either Proton mail removes mention of their premium service from the app (and the app can still provide this service to anyone paying outside of App Store) or they keep it and then provide in-app purchases.

They clearly decided to use IAPs. If you ask me, this is a smart move, as many customers won’t be bothering with other payment options.

Re: ProtonMail CEO calls Apple's forced in-app purchases 'Mafia extortion'

#256

Post by viktorcode »

newbie578 wrote: post #9

Another thread where people will fly to defend Apple and explain how it's circumstances are similar to PS and Xbox and no one is coming after Sony, yet everyone conveniently decides not to compare Apple to early 2000s Microsoft which is basically a mirror situation. I guess people "expect" stuff like this from Apple which is the reason we are not allowed to criticize them, yet if Microsoft came out and said Steam bre…

When Apple kicks Steam from macOS no one will be defending them. That is as close as your comparison can get.

Re: ProtonMail CEO calls Apple's forced in-app purchases 'Mafia extortion'

#257

Post by missedthecue »

Barrin92 wrote: post #167

Apple is nothing else but the digital equivalent of a landlord extracting economic rents from everyone in the ecosystem. It's time to put an end to it, and while we're at it the same goes for all the other platform owners. We (in this case the EU) should give it the same treatment we gave credit card companies. Cap their rates at 1% or whatever so they can cover the operational costs of their stores, stop them from b…

There is a benefit. The prevention of side loading limits malware. Windows is ridden with malware.

Re: ProtonMail CEO calls Apple's forced in-app purchases 'Mafia extortion'

#258

Post by adventured »

d1zzy wrote: post #183
traveler01 wrote: post #36

Well, true that's kinda how Mafia works.

Except the Mafia hasn't built from scratch the neighborhood it asks "protection money" from, it already existed there and they pushed out anyone able to stand up to them and started enforcing their rules over the people already living there. Also comparing an organization that terrorizes, mauls and murders people in real life living in their home neighborhood to a company that imposes strict rules to ensure they get…

> Also comparing an organization that terrorizes, mauls and murders people in real life living in their home neighborhood to a company that imposes strict rules to ensure they get a cut of every sale on their own digital platform seems far fetched.

It's not far fetched, it's moronic, immature and quotable clickbait trash. The CEO is trying to get attention by saying something blatantly extreme. It's perfectly representative of the age we live in, where people lack self-control and routinely throw outrage tantrums like they're children and desperate for attention at all times.

He might as well have declared that Tim Cook is a murderous despot, just go ahead and leap to the finish line for that mental train of stupidity.

Re: ProtonMail CEO calls Apple's forced in-app purchases 'Mafia extortion'

#259

Post by viktorcode »

s17n wrote: post #44

All that Apple is really accomplishing is to ensure that the only viable business model will be ads.

That’s how Google’s Play Market operates. Apple can afford to run premium store, as no side loading means no piracy.

Re: ProtonMail CEO calls Apple's forced in-app purchases 'Mafia extortion'

#260

Post by esarbe »

jqpabc123 wrote: post #192
Barrin92 wrote: post #167

Apple is nothing else but the digital equivalent of a landlord extracting economic rents from everyone in the ecosystem. It's time to put an end to it, and while we're at it the same goes for all the other platform owners. We (in this case the EU) should give it the same treatment we gave credit card companies. Cap their rates at 1% or whatever so they can cover the operational costs of their stores, stop them from b…

If you're an end user --- don't buy Apple. If you're a developer --- don't build for Apple. Problem solved.

In theory; yes. In practice; not quite enough.

Apple is doing everything it can to stop the customer from being informed. As a developer, you are not allowed to tell your customers how much of a cut Apple gets.

This has to change.

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