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AppLovin nonconsensual installs

benedelman.org

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Re: AppLovin nonconsensual installs

#11

Post by margalabargala »

lysace wrote: post #5
rgovostes wrote: post #3

How does the platform even allow a single tap on an ad to install an app? Edit: Discussed somewhat here https://www.benedelman.org/applovin-permissions/ . Seems like it's abetted by garbage from the carrier. Something for iOS to look forward to?

You neglected to mention Google's Android. It's business model that maximizes for reach over everything else is the root cause.

The two options are reach over all else, or control of its customers and overcharging them at every turn over all else.

One is not obviously better than the other, though I'll grant that Apple has managed to get their users to a place where being subjected to them has become a point of pride, which is impressive.

Re: AppLovin nonconsensual installs

#12

Post by alfalfasprout »

margalabargala wrote: post #9
taspeotis wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes: “App Store” on iOS protects you against exactly this.

Having non-tech-savvy relatives throw out their phones, buy thousand dollar hardware and swap to an operating system they are unfamiliar with is an absolutely terrible solution to the problem.

Hyperbole of this comment aside, what else do you suggest then?

It's a fundamental tradeoff between allowing multiple ways for apps to be installed or forcing everything through a single installation workflow (a la iOS and its App Store).

Re: AppLovin nonconsensual installs

#13

Post by colechristensen »

margalabargala wrote: post #9
taspeotis wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes: “App Store” on iOS protects you against exactly this.

Having non-tech-savvy relatives throw out their phones, buy thousand dollar hardware and swap to an operating system they are unfamiliar with is an absolutely terrible solution to the problem.

On the other hand, iOS is popular because of quality issues like this. Android is only as good as it is because of the competition from Apple.

Before the iPhone you couldn't even get the "cool" phones in America, Japan had so much better things available and everybody envied what wasn't available here.

The reason we have any control from the carriers was the power Apple had and the stubbornness of Jobs.

A lot of the battles being lost by Apple are being won by groups who will make the ecosystem worse.

Re: AppLovin nonconsensual installs

#14

Post by margalabargala »

alfalfasprout wrote: post #12
margalabargala wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Having non-tech-savvy relatives throw out their phones, buy thousand dollar hardware and swap to an operating system they are unfamiliar with is an absolutely terrible solution to the problem.

Hyperbole of this comment aside, what else do you suggest then? It's a fundamental tradeoff between allowing multiple ways for apps to be installed or forcing everything through a single installation workflow (a la iOS and its App Store).

Nothing in my comment was hyperbolic. The median price of a current gen iphone is $999. The people OP is asking about are not typical HN users; asking them to change phone operating systems is an unreasonably onerous ask.

OP had a good suggestion for a solution, something that allows gating surprise app installs.

Re: AppLovin nonconsensual installs

#16

Post by renewiltord »

margalabargala wrote: post #14
alfalfasprout wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hyperbole of this comment aside, what else do you suggest then? It's a fundamental tradeoff between allowing multiple ways for apps to be installed or forcing everything through a single installation workflow (a la iOS and its App Store).

Nothing in my comment was hyperbolic. The median price of a current gen iphone is $999. The people OP is asking about are not typical HN users; asking them to change phone operating systems is an unreasonably onerous ask. OP had a good suggestion for a solution, something that allows gating surprise app installs.

Anyone who is trying to save money shouldn't buy the "median" device. Just get an older iphone or the SE if you want it. Doesn't make sense. “I’m in top 10 percent of price conscious users so I want 50th percent device”? Just illogical behavior.

Re: AppLovin nonconsensual installs

#17

Post by lukev »

margalabargala wrote: post #9
taspeotis wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes: “App Store” on iOS protects you against exactly this.

Having non-tech-savvy relatives throw out their phones, buy thousand dollar hardware and swap to an operating system they are unfamiliar with is an absolutely terrible solution to the problem.

It definitely can and should be a factor when choosing what hardware to set your relatives up with in the first place, though.

Re: AppLovin nonconsensual installs

#18

Post by doctorpangloss »

AppLovin has been doing this for a long time. BlueStacks and some other vendors have been doing this for literally a decade.

The root problem is that Google Play is poorly curated. One problem it has is that it ranks apps that have many downloads higher than those with fewer downloads. AppLovin is used to boost downloads for the purposes of the Google Play algorithm.

Of course, this is known to Google.

Re: AppLovin nonconsensual installs

#19

Post by margalabargala »

renewiltord wrote: post #16
margalabargala wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nothing in my comment was hyperbolic. The median price of a current gen iphone is $999. The people OP is asking about are not typical HN users; asking them to change phone operating systems is an unreasonably onerous ask. OP had a good suggestion for a solution, something that allows gating surprise app installs.

Anyone who is trying to save money shouldn't buy the "median" device. Just get an older iphone or the SE if you want it. Doesn't make sense. “I’m in top 10 percent of price conscious users so I want 50th percent device”? Just illogical behavior.

An older iPhone or an SE is still hundreds of dollars more device than these people need.

Re: AppLovin nonconsensual installs

#20

Post by margalabargala »

colechristensen wrote: post #13
margalabargala wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Having non-tech-savvy relatives throw out their phones, buy thousand dollar hardware and swap to an operating system they are unfamiliar with is an absolutely terrible solution to the problem.

On the other hand, iOS is popular because of quality issues like this. Android is only as good as it is because of the competition from Apple. Before the iPhone you couldn't even get the "cool" phones in America, Japan had so much better things available and everybody envied what wasn't available here. The reason we have any control from the carriers was the power Apple had and the stubbornness of Jobs. A lot of the…

I mean sure, the iPhone did a ton to create the modern smartphone as we think of it. If you as a user care about that history and want to support what Apple does, you should buy their devices.

That doesn't make it a reasonable device for a sizable segment of the non-tech-savvy population though.

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