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0 pointschongli3y ago0 comments

I think what Apple’s afraid of is an app like Facebook tricking/forcing users to sideload in order to bypass privacy protections and get full access to user data. I don’t think they’re at all worried about hobbyists sideloading open source apps.

Everyone likes to say “but would Apple would lose the $100/yr from all those hobbyists.” How many hobbyists do you think are out there right now paying $100/year just to load some apps on their phone? Can’t be more than 1000. Even if it were 10,000 that would represent $1 million/yr in lost revenue for Apple. That’s less than a rounding error on just one quarterly report. They really don’t care about that!

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adql3y ago

> I think what Apple’s afraid of is an app like Facebook tricking/forcing users to sideload in order to bypass privacy protections and get full access to user data. I don’t think they’re at all worried about hobbyists sideloading open source apps.

Nah, they're worried someone might sideload a software with payment method that doesn't give them cut

robertoandred3y ago

Who wants another payment method? When something doesn't offer Apple Pay it's a huuugggee pain and a good reason to find something else.

smoldesu3y ago

The only thing simpler than a payment method is no payment method at all. A scary premise, judging from Apple's lethargic WebKit development.

anigbrowl3y ago

BS, nobody wants to sideload another app store. If they want to pay for sketchy software they get it off a dark web site and sideload that. Even if you wanted to install recreational_drugstore.app to have the convenience of a wraparound consumer experience for designer dugs, would you really want a dark web originated app hooked up to your crypto wallet or fiat payment methods?

Get real, Apple's target demo is upper-middle class people who want a frictionless computing experience - the kind of people whose response to a massive avoidable security fail would be litigation and political/regulatory action.

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4111111111111113y ago

I doubt any of that was really considered, honestly.

Apple wants to fully control the devices they're letting people use. Allowing side loading can only be considered a reduction in control of their devices, thus it's against their main mission.

JKCalhoun3y ago

Steam charges you $100 per app that you upload to their store. That seems like a better business model. No App Store presence? No $100 required.

cloverich3y ago

They are worried about both, and use the former to justify the latter. And in the case of Facebook, they are worried for good reasons (they care about user privacy) and bad ones (they are happy to hurt Facebook financially, because it reduces their ability to compete with Apple).

LarryMullins3y ago

> I think what Apple’s afraid of is an app like Facebook tricking/forcing users

Apple treats their users like a nursing home treats senile people.

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