Apple cuts off Beeper Mini's access • Hacker News Board

Re: Apple cuts off Beeper Mini's access

#81

Post by Grustaf » Fri, Dec 08, 2023, 11:07 PM UTC

> "if Apple truly cares about the privacy and security of their own iPhone users, why would they stop a service that enables their own users to now send encrypted messages to Android users, rather than using unsecure SMS?" - Eric Migicovsky

1. If Apple sees this as a gap, it is very obvious that they would address that themselves, rather than by allowing a hack to exploit loopholes in their architecture

2. Since Apple has no control over the Beeper mini client, they would not consider it safe, it could easily be spying on users without their knowledge.

Re: Apple cuts off Beeper Mini's access

#82

Post by pdntspa » Fri, Dec 08, 2023, 11:07 PM UTC

madeofpalk wrote: post #62

trynumber9 wrote: post #47

The EU should, like they did years ago with PC operating systems, mandate a default browser selection screen. And a default messenger selection screen. And a default app store selection screen. Not that we'd get it in the US but it would help reduce Apple/Google market capture efforts.

'Nobody' in the EU uses iMessage, even on iPhones. Everyone here already uses Whatsapp. This demonstrates a lack of a monopoly and how competition can flourish. Honestly - and EU-regulation that Apple faces over iMessage would just be collateral damage from EU targeting Whatsapp.

God I really wish we Americans would get on whatsapp

Re: Apple cuts off Beeper Mini's access

#83

Post by ma2rten » Fri, Dec 08, 2023, 11:08 PM UTC

ElijahLynn wrote: post #45

> Reached for comment, Beeper CEO Eric Migicovsky did not deny that Apple has successfully blocked Beeper Mini. “If it’s Apple, then I think the biggest question is... if Apple truly cares about the privacy and security of their own iPhone users, why would they stop a service that enables their own users to now send encrypted messages to Android users, rather than using unsecure SMS? With their announcement of RCS su…

Apples cares about the privacy and security of iPhones as a differentiator.

Re: Apple cuts off Beeper Mini's access

#84

Post by seanmcdirmid » Fri, Dec 08, 2023, 11:08 PM UTC

trynumber9 wrote: post #47

The EU should, like they did years ago with PC operating systems, mandate a default browser selection screen. And a default messenger selection screen. And a default app store selection screen. Not that we'd get it in the US but it would help reduce Apple/Google market capture efforts.

How many people are still using safari on Mac? Everyone I know uses chrome, but maybe that’s just in the states?

Re: Apple cuts off Beeper Mini's access

#85

Post by samcat116 » Fri, Dec 08, 2023, 11:09 PM UTC

trynumber9 wrote: post #47

The EU should, like they did years ago with PC operating systems, mandate a default browser selection screen. And a default messenger selection screen. And a default app store selection screen. Not that we'd get it in the US but it would help reduce Apple/Google market capture efforts.

Famously those default selection screens for browsers failed horrendously.

Re: Apple cuts off Beeper Mini's access

#86

Post by goodluckchuck » Fri, Dec 08, 2023, 11:10 PM UTC

dmillar wrote: post #65

As usual, Gruber was right on the money. Via Threads yesterday: "My prediction is that Apple will make changes—fixing bugs and/or closing loopholes—that break Beeper Mini. It’s untenable that there’s unsanctioned client software for a messaging platform for which privacy and security are a primary feature. It’s a very nice app, remarkably clever, and for now works like a charm, but if Apple wanted an iMessage client…

It looks to me like there is an advantageous business relationship between Beeper and their customers. As a general rule, Apple is free to change their programs and how they work. However, I think there’s a plausible argument for tortious interference here if the sole purpose was to prevent interoperability.

Re: Apple cuts off Beeper Mini's access

#87

Post by spacephysics » Fri, Dec 08, 2023, 11:10 PM UTC

rglullis wrote: post #80

trynumber9 wrote: post #47

The EU should, like they did years ago with PC operating systems, mandate a default browser selection screen. And a default messenger selection screen. And a default app store selection screen. Not that we'd get it in the US but it would help reduce Apple/Google market capture efforts.

Let's think higher than that. Let's just get rid of megacorporations: let's mandate that any company with more than amount of X employees should be broken down into smaller divisions, with a separate board and CEO, and make it that no one can be on more than one board at the same time. Make X low enough, 250, and all of this would go away: no more corporatism, no more monopolies, no more special groups interests payi…

This sounds like some utopic conjecture, that honestly, wouldn’t solve the root problem

Re: Apple cuts off Beeper Mini's access

#88

Post by gnicholas » Fri, Dec 08, 2023, 11:10 PM UTC

corobo wrote: post #54

phailhaus wrote: post #41

Crazy that the CEO even tried to create an entire company based on something that they absolutely cannot control. Was this an acquisition play?

Beeper (not mini) is already a company - it's an app that aggregates the various other networks friends and family insist on using. WhatsApp, FB Messenger, Telegram, Instagram, etc. Been using it a while now, pretty good. This was a proof of concept to expand that app, it's not the entire company

What's the pricing model? I would think that many people would not be potential customers because the vast majority of their networks are on a single platform (whatsapp or messages), or because they don't really care if messages live in 2 different places. I could imagine paying a one-time fee for something like this, but I assume the ongoing upkeep required would not work with such a model.

Re: Apple cuts off Beeper Mini's access

#89

Post by doctoboggan » Fri, Dec 08, 2023, 11:10 PM UTC

My guess is Beeper calculated this was likely to happen eventually (maybe not this fast), but that they would get good press on the initial launch and on the shutdown announcement and that press would be worth the technical investment they made. They do have a different service they still offer and some percentage of people are looking at that now.

Re: Apple cuts off Beeper Mini's access

#90

Post by [deleted] » Fri, Dec 08, 2023, 11:11 PM UTC

pdntspa wrote: post #82

madeofpalk wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

'Nobody' in the EU uses iMessage, even on iPhones. Everyone here already uses Whatsapp. This demonstrates a lack of a monopoly and how competition can flourish. Honestly - and EU-regulation that Apple faces over iMessage would just be collateral damage from EU targeting Whatsapp.

God I really wish we Americans would get on whatsapp

[deleted]