This is going in the wrong direction. Government shouldn't be imposing regulations on monopolistic app stores when competition can naturally break the monopolies and bring them in line with developer and consumer needs. Let there be multiple app stores, charging developers competitive fees and implementing competitive security and convenience features. Don't let the platform favor any particular app store, or raise barriers to app mobility between stores. See how long 30% fees and hostile policies last when any developer can just upload their apps to another store with minimal modifications, and any consumer can easily use that store.
Apple and Google must allow other in-app payment systems, Korean law declares
411–420 of 627 posts
Re: Apple and Google must allow other in-app payment systems, Korean law declares
#412Earlier quoted context omitted.
Really, this is a "loss" to consumers how?
By outlawing what a lot of consumers considered a very useful feature, and that is limiting the choices of developers. Developers may not like it, but there’s a value in restrictions, especially in something as sensitive as payments. With sensitive data flowing through a lot more companies, it’s going to be a shit show, it’s just a matter of time.
How is this limiting anything? I see this as adding options, and I'd like to see it adopted across the world.
Re: Apple and Google must allow other in-app payment systems, Korean law declares
#413Earlier quoted context omitted.
and they can, because there's not a single EU company with an app store to harm. App stores are designed for profit, not simply for our convenience. Imagine a government forcing AirBnb to let people pay hand to hand to the owner of the apartment. It's the same issue, right?
If AirBnb and X capture market in an duopoly, maybe govt. will have to and should intervene.
One research firm says that Airbnb and Expedia (which owns Vrbo, Expedia.com, Hotels.com, and 5 other sites) control 93% of the online travel agency market. That looks like a duopoly to me.
Re: Apple and Google must allow other in-app payment systems, Korean law declares
#414Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't think he's saying that it'd be good if Apple and Google did that. He's saying they should have done that if they had had their strategic thinking caps on.
The fact that these two things are different is the problem with corporate America. The morally correct thing is always the better thing for shareholders in the long-run, but corporations don't see it that way.
> The morally correct thing is always the better thing for shareholders in the long-run
Are you asserting that this is the case in reality, or that we should strive for a society and economic system in which this would be true?
Re: Apple and Google must allow other in-app payment systems, Korean law declares
#415Earlier quoted context omitted.
The fact that these two things are different is the problem with corporate America. The morally correct thing is always the better thing for shareholders in the long-run, but corporations don't see it that way.
> The morally correct thing is always the better thing for shareholders in the long-run Are you asserting that this is the case in reality, or that we should strive for a society and economic system in which this would be true?
Both. I think that when corporations do exploitative things, they are being short-sighted, and will eventually suffer in the long run.
And really what I would advocate for is stricter regulations so we don't have to rely on the good will of corporations in general. Their track record is terrible.
Re: Apple and Google must allow other in-app payment systems, Korean law declares
#416Earlier quoted context omitted.
There’s an entire cottage industry of jailbroken app stores. You might argue that those using alternative stores are a minority (1-5%), but the act of jailbreaking a phone is quite challenging and we still have a lot of people doing it. If iPhones were able to run third party stores I think you’d see 30 or 40% of users opting in to that. Is it a usability nightmare? Perhaps. But device makers shouldn’t make that “cho…
It’s way less than 1% Waay less.
That's because Apple has waged war on these stores for over a decade. The fraction used to be much, much higher several years ago.
Re: Apple and Google must allow other in-app payment systems, Korean law declares
#417The Mac App Store gives a hint at what would happen if there was any choice. The amount of software actually available for the Mac is far, far greater than what’s listed in the store. Furthermore, while some quality and notable apps are still in the Mac App Store, many well-known apps are not there. The number of lousy apps is also extremely high every time I go to search or just look at the front page, to the point…
I would disagree with the premise that the two stores are comparable. The alternative to not use the Mac App Store is not just financial, but also allows developers to bypass the sandbox requirements. Whether or not Apple permits alternative payment systems for iOS/iPadOS, all the apps will likely remain sandboxed.
Any OS feature should be in control of the user, not Apple who can sell access to these features to developers in the form of "entitlements".
Re: Apple and Google must allow other in-app payment systems, Korean law declares
#418Earlier quoted context omitted.
I agree, Apple should be broken up.
It's not necessary to break Apple up to implement a policy that requires Apple to apply the same process to their own apps. There are other standalone arguments calling for a breakup, but agreeing with the parent doesn't automatically lead to the conclusion that a breakup is required.
> It's not necessary to break Apple up to implement a policy that requires Apple to apply the same process to their own apps.
It works in theory, but when the application team and review team both report to the same CEO, the review team will be pressured to bend the review policy.
Re: Apple and Google must allow other in-app payment systems, Korean law declares
#419In a statement, Google defended its service fees, which it says “helps keep Android free,”
Now that is some brass neck, payments keep a service free! Newspeak! If you pay me £500k a year I will work for free. Give me £20k and I'll give you a free car. Unbelievable, well done Korea
Re: Apple and Google must allow other in-app payment systems, Korean law declares
#420The Mac App Store gives a hint at what would happen if there was any choice. The amount of software actually available for the Mac is far, far greater than what’s listed in the store. Furthermore, while some quality and notable apps are still in the Mac App Store, many well-known apps are not there. The number of lousy apps is also extremely high every time I go to search or just look at the front page, to the point…
Maybe that's just a proof that there's not much value created by the app store if they can't convince developers to use it if they had a choice.
Exactly - I've always pointed out that developers for the Apple's ecosystem are being dumbasses. Why would you willingly pay Apple money annually (and then a percentage of your profit too) to develop on their platform when you actually add value to it!?
Platforms struggle and / or fail to be successful in the market when developers don't support them. (You just have to look at MS Windows Mobile, Samsung's Tizen OS, LG webOS, Jolla Sailfish OS etc. to realise this).
(I was one of these dumbass too once and bought a mac and other apple devices to create apps on Apple's platform before I realised that I was being a dumbass).