Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Developers revolt over Apple's new app store rules

wired.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

61–70 of 346 posts

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

#61

Post by downWidOutaFite »

retskrad wrote: post #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…

So Android is the best thing that happened to the iPhone but the worst thing that happened to developers and users.

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

#62

Post by agos »

j-j-j-j wrote: post #48
menacingly wrote: post #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…

Agreed. Apple has a full right to collect as much money as it can from users of the platform they've built and maintain. I wish the cut was more like 50%, to benefit my stocks, while I'm using exclusively FOSS and pay nothing. These devices are so shiny and great status symbol. I recommend everyone should be in Apple ecosystem and develop applications for it.

I legit can't tell if this is satire - hats off if this was your intent

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

#63

Post by beacon294 »

thesuperbigfrog wrote: post #2

"Apple holds app providers ransom like the Mafia," claims Matthias Pfau, CEO and cofounder of Tuta, an encrypted email provider. The tech giant treats iPhones as its territory, Pfau complains, tightly controlling developers’ access before taking a chunk of their profits. "Anyone wanting to provide an iOS app must pay a ransom to Apple; there’s no way around it." What can developers do other than agree to Apple's dema…

It would be nice to develop an open iPhone compatible.

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

#64

Post by JimDabell »

snapcaster wrote: post #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…

In fact, side loading leading to scams is that much of a real-world security problem that Android is also trialling restrictions on side loading. Android users constantly get scammed out of tens of thousands of dollars via side loading, while iOS users don’t. Apple are being honest when they say it’s a serious security risk. From Google:

> Based on our analysis of major fraud malware families that exploit these sensitive runtime permissions, we found that over 95 per cent of installations came from internet-sideloading sources

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/google-android-dev...

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

#65

Post by beacon294 »

menacingly wrote: post #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…

An open iPhone compatible is probably the answer here.

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

#66

Post by noqc »

riversflow wrote: post #60
RetpolineDrama wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To clarify, Apple can't see our source code but I imagine they can easily diff things like binary size and have basic decompiler tools to analyze things like what system APIs are called (how they bust you for private API use etc). When we ship an update that adds a whole new branch of functionality that adds camera/mic interactions where there were none before (with all the new entitlements that requires) and the rev…

[flagged]

The word trusted doesn't change meanings when you move to a sales context unless you're a salesman.

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

#67

Post by snapcaster »

roamerz wrote: post #42

Just wow. Good for Apple! I DO want IOS to remain a walled garden as such. Look how many clicks those pesky do good gov regulators have a cost the world with those annoying "Yes I accept your damn cookies and privacy policy" on every website I visit. Writing apps for IOS is a completely voluntary job where you know the terms before you start. Don't like it? Don't write it -or- just pass on the cost to the consumers.…

I agree, all these moves to open iOS are from some of the biggest pushers of enshittification. The walled garden is great for me, and all sideloading will do is open up new attack vectors for me (and more importantly, the tech ignorant people i care about).

I understand the corporate actors pushing for this out of self interest, but all of the bystanders cheering this on annoy me. You already have android, linux phones, etc. etc. Can't you just leave us alone in our walled garden and stick with android or linux or whatever?

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

#68

Post by rossjudson »

agos wrote: post #57
menacingly wrote: post #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…

as an EU developer, I'll offer you two points to help you see why developers are not happy (euphemism). - I was working on an app for both healthcare professionals (paying customers) and their patients (the app was free for them). At the same time we could not have sign up for the doctors - Apple would like 30% of the subscription fee for the honor of hosting the client and its updates on their servers, but also Appl…

Very interesting example, and solid motivation for a regulatory framework. It makes sense for doctors and patients to be able to communicate through apps, and it makes sense for some aspects (even payments) to be conducted through them.

I really don't know what the right solution is overall, but I am sure that having large numbers of one-off negotiations is not the right way to solve it.

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

#69

Post by talkingtab »

Apple's actions are anti-competitive. Spotify is a very good example. Instead of making a better product, Apple is acting to appropriate other businesses. Although the object of Apple's action is companies that try to make money that Apple wants, it is the users, the customers who pay. Apple is an anti-user platform. They are not alone in this of course.

How do we change this? I, as a user, am aggrieved that Apple sells (not lends) me a product and then takes actions that make product less useful and more costly. Maybe Spotify and companies should simply set up a website so it is easy for me to take Apple to small claims court? The facts of Apple's anti-competitive practices are certainly clearly laid out in the EU's action, so that should not be hard.

I would sign up.

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

#70

Post by mensetmanusman »

Ensorceled wrote: post #41
racl101 wrote: post #30

Apple used to see IBM as the bad guy but somehow they've become a thousand times worse than IBM ever was.

> Apple used to see IBM as the bad guy but somehow they've become a thousand times worse than IBM ever was. I think you would have a hard time establishing that 202x Apple is worse for independent developers than "Big Blue" IBM, let alone three orders of magnitude worse.

Tim Apple is paid to love money.
Post reply on HN