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Ask HN: Apple revoked developer account for 2.5 years and counting

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Re: Ask HN: Apple revoked developer account for 2.5 years and counting

#121

Post by camhart »

tptacek wrote: post #113
jtbayly wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Should I, or should I not be allowed to run whatever applications I want on my phone? Should I, or should I not be forbidden from filtering the internet for myself ? Meanwhile, the content I see is filtered by FB, Twitter, etc. Why should their desires rule mine on my device? Should I, or should I not be forbidden from seeking help accomplishing my own goals for online use, in particular accountability for giving up…

You're asking me? Ok: it should not be possible for you to install surreptitious screen recording software on an iPhone. The problem isn't that this app got blocked; it's that all the other ones (except maybe that one app that only records screenshots when you use their browser ) aren't banned. But this is totally besides the point. We're not discussing what Apple's rules ought to be. We're trying to help figure out…

> it should not be possible for you to install surreptitious screen recording software on an iPhone.

I agree with this 100%. It should not be possible on any platform. Key word there being surreptitious.

To clarify, your comments are about iOS apps. Look at their MacOS apps, and it's a different story. The capture the entire devices screen, not just the web browser. And several competitors do it.

Re: Ask HN: Apple revoked developer account for 2.5 years and counting

#122

Post by calsy »

mdoms wrote: post #117
newaccount74 wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Search for "accountability software", and you'll find apps advertised in a very similar manner I googled a bit and found [1] and [2]. Their marketing is very very different from yours [3]. [1] looks very tasteful, considering they are basically spyware. It's a very positive spin with great copywriting. [2] gives me some Christian vibes, it's not for me, but it still looks decent. [3] on the other hand just looks re…

> It's a question of taste. Great Mac and iPhone are done very tastefully. Truple is missing that. It is wild to me that there is a megacorporation whose subjective opinion of "tastefulness" (based on their own North American cultural norms) is a gate to software delivery and that there is an entire category of users who actually think this is a good thing.

The issue in this case is the 'spyware' nature of the app, rather than any matter of taste.

Re: Ask HN: Apple revoked developer account for 2.5 years and counting

#123

Post by Pigalowda »

Your app constantly surveils a subject and sends frequent random screen captures to a controller - no matter the activity.

In order to eliminate a few sexual behaviors you’ve created an application that has serious potential for abuse and control. A well functioning adult will simply have a burner phone and the infected phone will only be used for “approved” uses. A minor or abused adult will stop using the phone and probably be isolated as a result. Which of their friend or family will want to have even benign communication with the subject knowing this app is installed (because they will).

You’re not a victim here.

Re: Ask HN: Apple revoked developer account for 2.5 years and counting

#124

Post by Isthatablackgsd »

threatofrain wrote: post #18
bijant wrote: post #13

I‘m sorry for You. I can see how you‘d think that your software is providing society a service. And yet from my perspective your software is malware. I don’t think you have considered the legal ramifications of your software in all markets where the app store is offered. Aside from the legal risk to You, there is also a reputational risk to Apple, a company trying to rebrand itself by focussing on privacy (CSAM nonwi…

I also don't want Apple approving apps which can essentially take over everything and eliminate all safety or privacy guarantees... but this developer is also saying that Apple has approved competitors of the same nature. I don't know how accurate the fine details are, but this story in its broad outlines seems very unfair and capricious.

> I also don't want Apple approving apps which can essentially take over everything and eliminate all safety or privacy guarantees.

Unfortunately, it won't happen because that would mean Apple need to ban MDM software from the App Store. Thousands of thousands of companies using MDM and it won't be a good move for Apple if they attempt to do so. Apple could do it, but they will lose profits, money talks louder than doing for the goodwill.

Re: Ask HN: Apple revoked developer account for 2.5 years and counting

#125

Post by camhart »

tptacek wrote: post #115
camhart wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This entire discussion is about Mac apps. My account was frozen when I attempted to notarize a MacOS app. I have not (yet) tried to submit an iOS app.

Oh! That makes a lot more sense. Disregard my previous comment! ("Notarization" should have been my tip-off). ... why are you trying to sell this app via the Mac App Store in the first place?

I'm not trying to distribute through the Mac App Store. Notarization is required for MacOS apps as of several years ago, unless you bypass gatekeeper.

Re: Ask HN: Apple revoked developer account for 2.5 years and counting

#126

Post by nightfly »

Pigalowda wrote: post #123

Your app constantly surveils a subject and sends frequent random screen captures to a controller - no matter the activity. In order to eliminate a few sexual behaviors you’ve created an application that has serious potential for abuse and control. A well functioning adult will simply have a burner phone and the infected phone will only be used for “approved” uses. A minor or abused adult will stop using the phone and…

> You're not a victim here

If the app was just rejected I'd agree. Freezing the account, and then _years_ later suggesting the user create a new account makes no sense.

Re: Ask HN: Apple revoked developer account for 2.5 years and counting

#127

Post by TedDoesntTalk »

jtbayly wrote: post #116
nyuszika7h wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> So don't buy/install it. But don't take away that choice from other people. It's not that simple. You are purposefully bringing up an extremely rare use case to detract from the fact that 99% of users of this software are going to be abusive parents who install it on their children's phones without consent. (Or heck, maybe even abusive spouses.) If parents are that concerned, even banning their children from "innoc…

> You are purposefully bringing up an extremely rare use case to detract from the fact that 99% of users of this software are going to be abusive parents What exactly is abusive about me wanting to know if my 6 year old is watching porn? Are parents that signed up for Youtube Kids abusive, too? Is Google abusive for filtering the videos? And are all those who shared articles about how porn was showing up in YTKids ab…

OP clearly does not have children in 2021.

Re: Ask HN: Apple revoked developer account for 2.5 years and counting

#128

Post by camhart »

tptacek wrote: post #89
camhart wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They've had apps in the app store for years, and MacOS apps notarized. If they're struggling, they're at least able to work with Apple where I'm not.

They're also more restricted than your app (one of them only works if you load the app by resetting the phone in iTunes; another always blurs screenshots; another only records screenshots from their own browser app). I think you're doing something the App Store simply doesn't want you to be doing, and it's hard to fault them for that.

This has nothing to do with the App Store. It's a MacOS app. None of the competitors require resetting a phone to use their MacOS app. Only one of the competitors requires blurring. None of them require a custom browser on MacOS.

Re: Ask HN: Apple revoked developer account for 2.5 years and counting

#129

Post by TedDoesntTalk »

nerdjon wrote: post #85
camhart wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Suppose I'm addicted to porn and that it's damaging my marriage. I want to be free of it. But when I pick my phone up, I'm tempted to view it. I know I want to be free of it. I don't want my life to suffer any more as a result of it. But I need help, because in those weaker moments my will power isn't sufficient. This is where making it difficult to bypass comes in. Keep in mind difficult do bypass doesn't equal "can…

Again you are saying something very different here than any of your marketing. If you want to make the choice to stop watching porn, that is fine. If you want to use software like this and you want to ask your spouse to help, that is fine. But your marketing, your google play listing that I quoted it is not you making the choice. It is someone else "protecting" you and making the choice. Quoting an exact quote from y…

What if it said:

"Truple holds YOU accountable in a way that's near impossible to bypass by capturing and sharing screenshots."

Re: Ask HN: Apple revoked developer account for 2.5 years and counting

#130

Post by Pigalowda »

nightfly wrote: post #126
Pigalowda wrote: post #123

Your app constantly surveils a subject and sends frequent random screen captures to a controller - no matter the activity. In order to eliminate a few sexual behaviors you’ve created an application that has serious potential for abuse and control. A well functioning adult will simply have a burner phone and the infected phone will only be used for “approved” uses. A minor or abused adult will stop using the phone and…

> You're not a victim here If the app was just rejected I'd agree. Freezing the account, and then _years_ later suggesting the user create a new account makes no sense.

I think it makes sense if the goal is to never approve such an app. A rejection and subsequent tinkering might allow a derivative to make it through. Perhaps they believe in leaving such projects in purgatory and the developer unable to troubleshoot.
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