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Apple takes down ICE tracking apps after pressure from DOJ

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Re: Apple takes down ICE tracking apps after pressure from DOJ

#301

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Any clue how Apple is justifying this? What rules did these apps allegedly break? Is it blocked globally, or only for U.S. app store phones? Are downloads blocked, or is the app being removed from phones it's already on?

The rule it breaks is Trump doesn’t like it. So Tim Cook bends the knee as the spineless little man he is.

Okay, but that's not what's being asked now is it? What's being asked is the explanation. They aren't telling saying to the public "we love the taste of boots" even if it is true.

Re: Apple takes down ICE tracking apps after pressure from DOJ

#302

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What’s this updatable BitTorrent protocol? I wished for something like this years ago as an auto-updating torrent for downloading Wikipedia with live (or daily or whatever) changes.

https://www.bittorrent.org/beps/bep_0046.html They were called mutable torrents. A private key would allow the originator to push out updates via dhts.

this is really neat. I've been looking for this sort of functionality with IPNS, but it seems like bittorrent could be better. Do clients implement this yet?

Re: Apple takes down ICE tracking apps after pressure from DOJ

#303

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I'd love for all tech reviewers at future product launches to go: "Yeah cool new iPads thanks... why did you guys block and remove an app that wasn't illegal? One that helped people know if armed forces that could search them and tear apart their homes were in the area?". Just refuse to report on or post about new product launches without mentioning it. Press is an large thing for Apple. Multiple times now they've on…

Yeah but the press has to make money. They don't want to lose access, ultimately most of them want to be PR contractors for big companies Getting people off of for-profit news would be great, though I admit it's a blue sky proposal

Which is why all of them should, every single one. Ones who don't should be called out by others.

Same thing at White House press conferences, push push push them relentlessly with questions that make them uncomfortable... make them squirm.

Press who always allow the other side to control the narrative deserve to die out. I know this is all easier said than done, but holy crap we are making it so easy for them to walk over us right now, we could at least do something.

Re: Apple takes down ICE tracking apps after pressure from DOJ

#304
post #146

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> The problem isn't the centralized control, it's the power the governments have. The governments will always have the power, that's pretty much built into the definition of government. So, technology needs to be built with this reality in mind. Thus, avoid all centralization.

The government is a centralization of power, it doesn't matter if our devices are "decentralized" if the government can simply make it illegal to use unlocked devices. Or encryption. Or VPNs. Etc.

> The government is a centralization of power, it doesn't matter if our devices are "decentralized" if the government can simply make it illegal to use unlocked devices.

That is a very binary view of the world, but the world is nothing but shades of gray.

At the very extreme of the most totalitarian government, you're right. Such a government can ban one thing or ban everything.

But in nearly every country, it's vastly easier to go choke a single neck (Apple) and tell them to shut something down, than to chase after tens of millions of individual people with individual devices, if all of them can run whatever they want from wherever they want.

That is the power of decentralization.

Re: Apple takes down ICE tracking apps after pressure from DOJ

#305
post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The problem isn't the centralized control, it's the power the governments have. The governments will always have the power, that's pretty much built into the definition of government. So, technology needs to be built with this reality in mind. Thus, avoid all centralization.

The governments will always have the power, that's pretty much built into the definition of government. Not the definition of our government. Our founding documents state that "Congress shall make no law" along the lines of what Apple is being pressured to do here. And the executive branch isn't supposed to be making laws at all, even though that's what they're doing. As the GP says: the problem is the power. But whe…

> Not the definition of our government. Our founding documents state that "Congress shall make no law" along the lines of what Apple is being pressured to do here.

I suggest read up on NSLs.

Sure, that should not be legal if the constitution meant anything, but there it is.

> the problem is the power

Tell me about a single government ever in history that has not abused its power at least sometimes?

While you're right, we should strive for that, we also need to strive for not building centralization that can be abused. Because it will always be abused.

Re: Apple takes down ICE tracking apps after pressure from DOJ

#307

Are people using non app work arounds ? Could the app be replaced with a SMS tree https://notbau.com/how-to-create-and-manage-a-manual-call-tr...

It could be replaced with a fucking web app if they built it properly the first time around.

Re: Apple takes down ICE tracking apps after pressure from DOJ

#308

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So exactly which festures would be needed in a PWA that’s not currently available in iOS? It’s just a meaningless talking point without specifics

PWAs can’t use Sockets, for one thing.

What on earth would you need that for in this instance?

As a side note, when Apple finally gets their shit together WebTransport is excellent for most socket like use cases.

Re: Apple takes down ICE tracking apps after pressure from DOJ

#310

Methinks this won’t be the last politically-motivated removal from Apple’s App Store; the more apps they remove then the more they weaken their own arguments about how a locked-in walled garden is in consumer interests.

Yep they reap what they sow
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