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Apple removes ‘Fakespot’ app from iOS App Store following Amazon request

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Re: Apple removes ‘Fakespot’ app from iOS App Store following Amazon request

#101

This is so depressing. Fakespot is an amazing app, I never buy anything off of Amazon without using it. Actions like this caused me to trust Amazon significantly less.

I've posted a similar comment before, but on what basis do you trust fakespot? If they were being paid to promote or even outright manipulate the analysis how would we know? Or how would they be immune to the same review manipulation by sellers that Amazon is prone to? Why do you think we don't need a fakespot for fakespot too?

Re: Apple removes ‘Fakespot’ app from iOS App Store following Amazon request

#102
post #96

Another small slice of personal agency is lost. Still enjoying those walled gardens keeping you "safe?"

I wonder if Apple would have pulled the app if it were from a nonprofit organization that doesn’t track everything the user does on those websites.

Ultimately it's user choice. If they are grown up enough to trust Amazon, they should be allowed to trust Fakespot. It's these big companies 'keeping us safe' and making choices for us that's the problem. They only have your wallet in mind, everything else is BS

Re: Apple removes ‘Fakespot’ app from iOS App Store following Amazon request

#103
post #80

Fakespot is one of the more atrocious extensions when it comes to data collection. It sends everything you look at, everything you add to cart, while you are logged out of everything it will also persistently track your viewed items with a unique identifier. I understand that the below may be in PP/ToS but come on, a normal user will not. It does a lot of things completely opaque to the normal end user that are well…

[deleted]

Re: Apple removes ‘Fakespot’ app from iOS App Store following Amazon request

#105

This is so depressing. Fakespot is an amazing app, I never buy anything off of Amazon without using it. Actions like this caused me to trust Amazon significantly less.

Have you used reviewmeta? If so how does it compare to Fakespot in terms of accuracy?

It was recommeded along with fakespot by some users for identifying fake amazon reviews when it was asked on my problem validation platform[1].

Amazon says,

> According to Amazon, the company already has the necessary tools to identify and stop fake reviews, suggesting that third-party services that claim to do this “are mostly wrong.”

If that was the case, People wouldn't be actively looking for solutions.

[1] https://needgap.com/problems/42-identifying-fake-reviews-in-...

Re: Apple removes ‘Fakespot’ app from iOS App Store following Amazon request

#106

This is so depressing. Fakespot is an amazing app, I never buy anything off of Amazon without using it. Actions like this caused me to trust Amazon significantly less.

Why doesn't it make you trust Apple significantly less? They took it down. They're another profit seeking organization not some natural phenomenon.

Re: Apple removes ‘Fakespot’ app from iOS App Store following Amazon request

#107
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel notably unfree on an Apple product, which amazes me because my reference is Google products. The thing which struck me was when I tried to watch a film I've had on my PC hard drive for what must be 5 years now, but Apple won't let VLC ship the codec.

Is the codec and container available in MrMC or Infuse? https://apps.apple.com/us/app/infuse-7/id1136220934 Video: 3GP AVI ASF BDMV DIVX DVDMEDIA DVR-MS FLV ISO/IMG M2TS M4V MKV MOV MP4 MPEG MTS MXF OGM OGV TS VIDEO_TS WEBM WMV WTV I’d be curious what it is, if not. VLC is missing codecs on Windows store too: https://itigic.com/normal-vlc-vs-microsoft-store-vlc-differe...

Good thing Windows lets you ""sideload"" a real copy of VLC instead of forcing you to use the neutered crap from their appstore.

For now.

Re: Apple removes ‘Fakespot’ app from iOS App Store following Amazon request

#108
post #80

Fakespot is one of the more atrocious extensions when it comes to data collection. It sends everything you look at, everything you add to cart, while you are logged out of everything it will also persistently track your viewed items with a unique identifier. I understand that the below may be in PP/ToS but come on, a normal user will not. It does a lot of things completely opaque to the normal end user that are well…

So many people on HN complaining about privacy, but then come to the comments section to defend an extension that literally collects and sells everything you do. Seems a tad ironic.

I don't think it's ironic. We can be opposed to privacy-infringing apps/corporations and be opposed to centralization and censorship at the same time.

What this fakespot (i had no idea it existed until today) is doing is NOT different from what apple/google/facebook and other data brokers are doing. I'm horrified it exists and would gladly participate in setting those corporations on fire, but at the same time i'm even more horrified when they destroy their own competition in the name of protecting us users, because it's a shameful hypocrisy.

It's basically like the police killing random citizens (mostly not those who are white/rich) then saying they have a monopoly on legitimate violence. The first situation is already terrible, but that they fight competition in their crimes against humanity is all the more reason to dismantle these entities.

Re: Apple removes ‘Fakespot’ app from iOS App Store following Amazon request

#110

This is so depressing. Fakespot is an amazing app, I never buy anything off of Amazon without using it. Actions like this caused me to trust Amazon significantly less.

Fakespot is literal cancer that steals passwords, location data, purchase history etc etc.

Should never been in the app store to begin with!

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