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Developers revolt over Apple's new app store rules

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Re: Developers revolt over Apple's new app store rules

#31
This is a great way to encourage developers to build the app that will show an essential use case for the Vision Pro.

It’s not like Vision Pro is a solution in need of a problem, desperately waiting for a killer app, or that apps built the iPhone ecosystem into the juggernaut it is now.

Apple doesn’t need developers, right? Right?

Re: Developers revolt over Apple's new app store rules

#32
I think something missed when these issues are discussed on sites like this is just how ignorant of computing the average user is. What would be obvious for us "oh it's not from official app store, so I know to apply extra scrutiny" isn't even describable in most people's mental model of computers/smartphones.

I don't want my loved ones getting scammed or hacked by people utilizing these new "freedoms". Why can't all of you sideloader/sdk/open source people just stick to android? why do you have to open the enshittification gates to every single platform?

Re: Developers revolt over Apple's new app store rules

#33

[flagged]

The app store is not secure or trusted. They've shipped malware. App store reviewers have not launched one of my apps in the last... _34 releases_. Their last open was >6 mo ago. They review my releases, some with 100k LoC diffs, in Their reviewer account was actually broken once for 4 months, and we always passed review anyways. Yes, I can tell if they used another account because once shipped Apple review is the _only_ group on the planet with that build # prior to release. They could launch the app without network but it wouldn't do anything since the the very first thing is to either refresh auth or login.

The App Store is a scam that I pay > $3M/year to Apple in fees for.

Re: Developers revolt over Apple's new app store rules

#34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nobody's complaining about not having the apple distribution. They're complaining about the scareware popups, designed to hurt businesses that don't pay Apple protection money.

The allure of the Apple ecosystem is the whole "it just works". I would absolutely want to be warned (and have less technically minded family members warned) when they are being sent to some third-party payment system when they're used to the guaranteed safe environment that Apple provides.

Doesn't Apple have a really simple Apple run payment portal where you can easily stop monthly charges? I don't even use Apple products myself but I'd want to be warned if I was about to lose that advantage, your average company are absolutely scum about monthly charges and cancellations.

Re: Developers revolt over Apple's new app store rules

#35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nobody's complaining about not having the apple distribution. They're complaining about the scareware popups, designed to hurt businesses that don't pay Apple protection money.

The allure of the Apple ecosystem is the whole "it just works". I would absolutely want to be warned (and have less technically minded family members warned) when they are being sent to some third-party payment system when they're used to the guaranteed safe environment that Apple provides.

> the guaranteed safe environment that Apple provides.

Guaranteed by whom? Not Apple, for sure.

Re: Developers revolt over Apple's new app store rules

#36
This is a complicated issue. On the one hand, I tend to have a generally unfavorable view of apple. I don't like closed systems, oversimplified to the point of missing critical settings UX, etc.

That said, I really don't understand the issue with their cut, or insisting on handling payments. In the vast majority of cases, these are not your customers. These are apple's customers they have given you access to.

If the arguments were "these restrictions are so burdensome I can't be in the app store!", that's a different conversation. But they tend to be "I can access such an irresistible amount of customers via apple, I just wish I could take those benefits à la carte.

It sucks, but you're living in an ecosystem they made appear out of thin air, clearly benefiting enough to experience what you're complaining about, and wishing the deal were more beneficial to you _after the work has been done_.

Also, I do wonder if EU flies a little close to the sun with this stuff. You can't legislate that someone lose more money than they gain with access to your market. I'm not sure we're there on this one, but the patience can't be infinite.

Re: Developers revolt over Apple's new app store rules

#37
We can talk about the morality of Apple’s App Store tax on developers all day but Apple is not a monopoly and they have all the right in the world to tax developers. We have to realize that Apple has most of the worlds middle class and rich people using iPhones. Apple can use this this advantage how ever they like as long it’s not breaking any laws.

If developers are mad about it then they need to band together like any other industry and lobby for changing the law or create unions. The changing the law part is incredibly difficult thing to do because Apple is not a monopoly. How can you write a law that punishes a business that isn’t a monopoly? Apple is only saying, in order to access out wealthy customers, you need to pay a fee. I don’t see how you can tell Apple that they’re doing some nefarious here.

Re: Developers revolt over Apple's new app store rules

#38

[flagged]

The app store is not secure or trusted. They've shipped malware. App store reviewers have not launched one of my apps in the last... _34 releases_. Their last open was >6 mo ago. They review my releases, some with 100k LoC diffs, in Their reviewer account was actually broken once for 4 months, and we always passed review anyways. Yes, I can tell if they used another account because once shipped Apple review is the _o…

Of course, this should surprise no one. It is harder to read code than to write it, and Apple doesn't spend 12 trillion dollars per year on code review.

Re: Developers revolt over Apple's new app store rules

#39
post #5
post #3

Apple's seeking to comply with the letter, rather than the spirit, of the law in order to maintain their ability to extract rents from the App Store. It's user-hostile (particularly given that they've now hobbled PWAs) but not surprising. Their behavior won't change without additional regulatory action.

In the US, laws are taken as very literal, and any technicality that can be exploited usually will be. In Europe, they’re far more focused on the spirit of the law and don’t put up with games. On one hand it seems like Apple is trying to take a US style approach, but on the other they must have European lawyers on staff explaining how that won’t work. One might conclude that it’s a calculated risk, or a stalling tact…

I find it far fetched that Apple would either hire terrible lawyers that lead them astray or competent lawyers that they then ignore. I agree that they are probably hoping to go to court.

Maybe I’m just too American to understand but the idea of “the spirit” of the law seems ridiculous. If you want the law to force Apple to allow slide loading then pass a law that says that. If you want a law that forces Apple to allow any developer to make and distribute software on their platform then pass a law that says that. It certainly seems that they were able to achieve that level of clarity with the USB-C rule. Why isn’t this law like that one? Relying on, “C’mon, we all know what the law really means,” is at best sloppy legislating.

Re: Developers revolt over Apple's new app store rules

#40
post #4

They remove pwas in latest ios beta(only in the EU) they are evil

I'm as disappointed in the new rules as anyone, but I'm going to call this one as most likely just a missing implementation rather than malicious. The new Browser Engine Kit that allows alternative browsers to be installed is really a very deep integration. It's not just swapping out the browser and engine that users open as an app, it's swapping out all system integrations – webviews embedded in apps (in certain typ…

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